Legacy
by nE0nbLaCk13
Summary: Four teens have come from their world to an alternate Unova region under war. N Harmonia's troops face the resistance movement, but the resistance have no chance of winning against the mysterious powers of N and his troops! Now these once regular teens must discover their new powers and put a stop to the rule of the King of Truth! Rated M for Violence and future LEMONS!
1. Prologue

**Welcome readers to N-Black's second story! Some of you may know me from reading my first story Pokemon Academy and some of you are new. Well anyways guys, this is just the prologue of Legacy until I come up with more characters, plot, etc. So here we go! **

**Prologue**

Unova. A land far from the worries of the rest of the world. Peace was across the land and the people prospered. There was no war and no strife. The land had become this way because of one man, Alder. The emperor of the Unova region was as powerful as he was kind, and he held those traits in great abundance. He ruled not with an iron fist, but with a guiding hand. Alder was widely respected and Unova remained untouched.

Across the world however, this was not the case. The lands of Kanto and Johto were constantly at war with each other. The Sinnoh and Hoenn region were advancing by sea towards the warring nations to wipe them out for good. The combined force of their navies would decimate both countries. The attack would've left them crumbling, but they were saved. From far to the east, a mysterious fleet appeared. They came with no warning and struck down the combined navy with ease. The entire Hoenn and Sinnoh navy now slowly sank into the coast of the Kanto region. These attackers that brought down possibly the strongest military force in the west were the Plasma Crusade. The Plasma Crusade turned a blind eye away from the people of Kanto and Johto and instead went to the east… to Unova.

The people of Unova were completely unprepared for what would happen to them. The sentries at the coast of Undella had no time to alert Alder of the impending attack, because the whole encampment and small village were destroyed by the cannons upon the Plasma Frigates. Unbeknownst to the rest of the land, the Plasma Crusade traveled and spread like wildfire; destroying whole cities in a single night. The White Forest, a long held ceremonial ground, was burned to the ground. Much of the eastern cities have already fallen, and by the time the news reached the ears of Alder, it was too late. The full force of the Unova army was sent to stop the invaders at all costs.

The two armies met by the Opelucid City, the last city before they could reach Alder's throne. The battle was completely one-sided due to the strange abilities, advanced weaponry, and the alien tactics the Plasma Crusade employed, but the Unovians were still pushing the fight. The battle would last almost a month and this gave the true objective of the Crusade time to finish. While the entire Unova army was battering away at the brick wall that was the Plasma Crusade, a mission was being carried out in the east. From the small village of Accumula to the large scale marketing town of Driftveil, a small detachment of troops and two emissaries rode through to spreads their message. The two emissaries were Ghetsis and N Harmonia.

Their visits to the towns and cities were peaceful in nature. Ghetsis held speeches to tell the people to not waste their lives fighting in a war they cannot win. Many of the people agreed to Ghetsis's speech, mostly due to the fear of being attacked by the troops. By the fourth week of the Battle of Opelucid, N and Ghetsis were positioned behind the enemy, ready to deal the final blow. Before, the Unova army had an escape route behind them they could use, but the arrival of N with more troops from behind meant that the battle was already lost. It was their plan from the beginnig, to lock the Unova army up against a wal of defenses so that N and Ghetsis could complte their mission. The Plasma Crusade trapped the Unovians into a box, the Crusade's signature tactic that made retreat impossible. The worn down Unovians were quickly defeated by the the army that now approached them on four sides. Almost no survivors left the battle. With the defeat of the Unova military, there was nothing to stop the invading army from marching through the Victory Road and towards Alder's palace.

Alder patiently awaited N's arrival. He would make his last stand against him in the throne room. Alder was powerful in his older age because of one thing. He had the gifts of a Volcarona. Alder was one of the few in the Unova region with the rare gift of having a Pokemon's ability and it was what made him so powerful. It was said that only the most pure of heart or the most powerful people could recieve the blessing. N had reached the throne room after defeating Alder's top lieutenants, the Elite Four. Their strength was legendary, but N defeated all four with barely any fight. Now the two of them met face to face. The battle was long and they appeared to be evenly matched. Alder's skill with a blade hadn't dulled and the waves of burning heat he could summon gave him breathing room against N. Alder was growing tired however, his old age was starting to wear him down. In an attempt to finish the battle in one blow, Alder summoned all his remaining strength to send forth a blistering wave of heat that would melt all that it touched. The attack decimated the throne room, it melted most of the pillars of support, but N was left untouched. Alder's last attack had failed.

N released a torrent of fire from himself and decreed that he was given the powers of the legendary Pokemon Reshiram and that fire was his element. Alder hadn't stood a chance from the start. He spared Alder's life so that he could see a new golden age unfold in Unova under his rule. N said that with his gifts, he would burn away all the evil from the hearts of the people. The last hope of the people of Unova was extinguished. In the months to come, the cities were rebuilt and life went on for the Unovians. The old throne room was destroyed and a new castle was erected above the remains of it. N Harmonia, the King of Truth rested upon the golden throne of Unova with his most trusted advisor Ghetsis at his side. For a time there was peace, the people were allowed to live their normal lives under his rule, but there was trouble brewing in the small village of Floceesy. The people were becoming restless. The winter that came after N's ascension to the throne was brutal and destroyed most of the crops that the villagers depended on for food. A plea of help was sent to the king, but it never reached his hands. Ghetsis took the letter of assistance and destroyed it. The people of Flocessy were now living in starvation and many of the village populace was dying. Word got out of the ignored cry of help and this enraged the people of the neighboring port village of Virbank. There were riots in the streets and uncontrollable raids on the Plasma Crusade's storage bins.

The food was sent to the people of Flocessy, but the actions of the people of Virbank weren't about to go unpunished. Ghetsis sent a detachment of troops into the night and they slaughtered the families of the rioters. They put the dead into the stream where the people usually got their water. Virbank was an example to all the provinces to not take up any action against the king. The example had the opposite reaction. Now all over the kingdom, riots and attacks on the Plasma Crusade broke out. There was mass chaos and soon new hope for the Unovians was dawning on the horizon. The rebels banded together in secret and wherever and whenever they could, they would attack the Crusade. The new group was a sign that hope was not lost and that Unova could be free from the Crusade. However, these rebels were not trained soldiers and it was only a matter of time before they were found. All hope was on the survival on the rebel forces and four newcomers who have no idea what they're doing in this world…

**BAM! There's the prologue guys! I hope you find this interesting and don't worry… Pokemon Academy will still be updated regularly. Tell me your opinions! Should I continue, was it good, does it seem like the start of a cool series? Or maybe it's just a load of Tauros Crap! I will be accepting OC's if I do continue this and I will most likely have the criteria for submissions in the next chapter's author's notes. Thanks for reading! Drop a review and if you're new to my stories check out Pokemon Academy! I predict that there will be an update to this sometime next week so just check in! **

**-N-Black, Out**


	2. Chapter 1

**N-Black is back with a new chapter of Legacy. I was going to do a surprise update of Pokemon Academy, but I just had so many ideas swimming around in my head about this story. Well anyways guys lets meet three of our four heroes shall we?**

**Chapter 1: Gathering**

He had ten minutes. Justin walked through the crowded streets of Black City, trying to avoid any kind of setback. He would be late and he knew he was going to get hurt if he was any later. He passed through an alleyway and decided to take a shortcut. The smog of the city's factories clouded up the sun so the city was usually dark. That was a good thing. He didn't want to be seen anyways. The shortcut he was going to take would go through the cold storage so he zipped up his black jacket and put his hood on. He came to an opening in the fence and pulled it open further so he could fit through. The loud voices of the workers came from inside the compound.

This was the delicate part of the trip. He couldn't get caught on the grounds of the cold storage or else it was off to the precinct… again. He couldn't afford another visit to the police, he was still on probation. Justin snuck around one of the containment bins and waited for the voices of the workers to trail off. He waited and soon the voices were gone. It appeared to be clear so Justin stepped out of cover. He froze as soon as one of the searchlights shined on him. There were yells saying,

"Get over here kid!"

"What're you doin'?"

He didn't stick around to chat. He took off running towards the next fence, ready to climb over it. If he got over it, he would be home free…if. The cold storage security team was now lining up to block his escape. He had workers behind him and security in front and there was no escape routes to the sides so Justin did the only thing he could, run towards the security team. The human blockade had their tasers at the ready, but Justin kept going. He wouldn't be brought to the precinct without a fight, or without having an uncomfortable amount of electricity surged inside of him. The fence was only a few yards away. He heard various warnings from the security force, but he paid them no mind. As soon as he was close enough to the blockade, he did a baseball slide. He saw the thin wires of their tasers miss his face by mere inches, but now he passed through a gap in the human wall and left the security team bewildered.

"Where'd he go?"

"He's behind us!"

Too late for them. Justin had already hopped the fence and made it back into the streets safely. He panted and took a quick rest before he continued. Hopefully no one saw his face underneath his hood. Justin did a quick look around to see if he was being trailed. The coast was clear and he continued. He was thankful that he knew the roads like the back of his hand otherwise he would've gotten lost multiple times. The way to the manor was long since the family that lived there wanted to be as far away from the troublesome streets of the city and Justin didn't blame them. A wealthy family like that living near these parts was just begging for a robbery. Justin had crossed from the business district to the city's slums. A cesspool of some of the shadiest characters Unova had to offer and Justin was proud to count himself among their ranks. Famous faces included the Krokorok Biker Gang who stirred up trouble on the bridges of Unova and the Poison Cartel who were now located in Virbank city. The Poison Cartel was an underground black market group whose base was disguised as an underground music club. How'd Justin know all this you ask? It's because he has friends in the right places and enemies in the wrong ones.

There were many people who wanted to get rid of him, but on the flip side, there were many people who wanted to keep him around. He had won the trust of various gangs and they kept him around because he was useful. Many of his enemies were unable to touch him because of his protection, but one day his luck would run out. Until that day came, he planned on working to achieve his goal: to get out of Black City and start over. The manor came into view shortly after he went through the abandoned gate. He knew that he was late, but turning back now would be hazardous to his health. No matter what, he had to go through with his mission. He reached the manor's back gate and scouted the area. There were a few guards, but nothing he couldn't take care of. Justin climbed over the fence as quietly as he could, but his foot hit a twig. He cringed as it snapped and now there were two guards coming to investigate. Maybe this could work to his advantage.

He sneaked off behind a statue in the trophy garden and picked up a well weighted rock. He had to wait until the guards were in the open again. The original two were followed closely by the guards in the trophy garden. Justin chucked the rock to a far away hedge and the rustle of the leaves was enough to get their attention. Soon the group was surrounding the hedge and Justin crept off to the darker side of the house. He rubbed his hands together and grabbed the nearest brick. Soon he would arrive at his objective. Slowly but surely, he made it up the wall and to the window. Justin reached with his hand to open the window but it opened by itself. The light of the room flooded out and illuminated his figure. He was finished now; the only thing he could do was run as fast as he could out of the vicinity to avoid capture.

"What took you so long amigo?" The friendly voice of Justin's partner Carlos came out of the window. "I was starting to get worried." His friend reached out and pulled him in. The room he came into belonged to their target, a very important person.

"I ran into trouble on the way through cold storage. Where is she?"

"Downstairs getting a drink, she doesn't know a thing." Justin took off his hood and his jacket. He was dark skinned with wavy black hair. His black jeans were faded and torn from overuse, as were his sneakers. He had managed to snag a new black shirt from his last job so that was the only thing he had that was new. From his neck, a tooth of a Pokemon he presumed to be Sharpedo dangled. It was his only treasure and he intended to keep it as long as he lived. After all, Pokemon were said to be myths and if he had sold it to a museum, he would be rolling in dough. Justin noticed Carlos's favorite jacket was hung on a chair.

"I see you've made yourself at home." Carlos was tall at about 6'4. At the time, he wore a black tank top, black skinny jeans and a nice pair of black shoes with a golden trim at the bottom. His signature jacket was black as well, but had a stripe of white going from the shoulders down his arms. On the sleeves, were three golden rings. The jacket was Carlos's favorite article of clothing and he would never be seen without it. Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs and the two boys took their positions. Carlos hid in the closet after retrieving his jacket and Justin was underneath the bed. The door to the room opened and Justin spotted the girl's pale thin legs walking in. After the door was closed she set something down on her table and Justin heard the springs of the bed squeak as she laid on the bed. She sighed and yawned. Their cover was perfect and they were in prime position to complete the mission. All they had to do was wai-

"You can come out now." The sudden speech made him jump and he hit his head. He winced but didn't make a sound. "See now you hurt yourself!" Justin sighed and crawled out of the bottom of the bed and looked at the girl. She had short blonde hair and icy blue eyes. She was wearing a yellow top and black shorts. Her gaze fell on him and she just stared at him. She got up and stood directly in front of him and looked him dead in the eyes. "You've got a lot of nerve making me wait for you like this." Her name was Elesa Bolt, and she was the most stunning girl he had ever met. "What took you so long and why were you hiding?"

"Look there was a holdup at the cold storage and I wanted to surprise you…" She put a finger on his lips to silence him.

"Don't explain yourself now. You can do it when we get back okay? Now let's go, I'm getting restless. Oh and Carlos, stop going through my underwear you pervert!" Justin heard a drawer in the closet close and Carlos came out whistling nonchalantly.

"Aw c'mon Elesa! You've got a whole rack of underwear! I'm sure you wouldn't miss one pair." Elesa went into the bathroom to change her clothes.

"I won't, but my mom will! You know how she counts up all my clothes to make sure no one steals them, so put back the pair you have in your jacket." Carlos rolled his eyes and went to the closet to return them. While Elesa was preparing herself, Justin looked at the drink on the table. It was on a coaster, but Justin knew that Elesa didn't use coasters. He picked up the glass and looked at the bottom of the coaster. There was a note addressed to him underneath. Justin had an eye for dubious things and it has saved him many times. There was once a time where he was invited to an enemy's base for a party. Justin knew that the boss of the rival gang always offered his guests brown liquor, but he offered him a glass of purple berry juice. Let's just say that the juice didn't go down well when it was ingested and that Justin's paranoia saved him from a premature burial. The note had two words scribbled onto it in Elesa's neat handwriting.

"_**Last Night!**_" What did that mean? Elesa and Justin usually exchanged info through notes, but this one seemed different. It did him no good to worry about it now so he stashed it into his jacket pocket. Elesa had come out of the bathroom and was dressed in a black hoodie and blue skinny jeans.

"You ready Elesa?" She zipped up the jacket and put on her hood.

"Of course I am! Now let's go already!" Justin gave Carlos a nod and the lights in the room went out. The three of them exited the room through the window and went climbed over the trophy garden fence. Justin, Carlos, and Elesa were on their way to the hustle and bustle of Black City.

**Whoo! Chapter one is done guys and I hope you liked it! What are the three of them up to in the city? OC's for the story are now being accepted and if you want to send one in, PM me so I can give you the details because this story has very particular criteria. Anyway, the update date will be given on Wednesday on the release of Pokemon Academy because I haven't come up with an exact schedule. Review and share with your friends guys! **

**-N-Black, Out**


	3. Chapter 2

**N-Black is back with another chapter of Legacy! I hope this story gets as hyped up as Pokémon Academy does because I really think that this is going to be an awesome story. **

** Chapter 2: Strictly Business**

Justin peered around the streets to make sure no one was looking at them suspiciously. The three of them walked through the slums quickly. Today they were going to see the Black Tower, the center of entertainment in the city. However, you might be asking yourself, "Why is someone as rich and civilized as Elesa walking around the dangerous city with two shady characters?" The answer was simple but had a backstory. To put it simply, Elesa saved him from starving out on the streets a year ago. Her family had just arrived in town and was attempting to reach their manor without attracting attention. Their inconspicuous vehicle stopped to top off on its gas and Elesa snuck out to see what the city was really like. That's when she found him sitting against a brick wall with sunken skin. His previous employers felt he wasn't useful anymore and they decided to kick him out, but not before they beat him up and took all the money he had collected. The lack of money had him stealing whatever scraps he could find. It was a petty existence, but he had to do what he needed to do to sty alive.

He had hit a dry spell in his thieving run and it was just his luck that the stores were closed on holiday, plus they donated all the food to a charity in the business district. Justin had been without food for almost three weeks and he had lost all his strength. When Elesa found him, he had thought that it was another person stopping to ogle him because of how thin he had gotten. No one gave him anything, they just tried to comfort him, but their words were devoid of actual sympathy. He didn't want people to say that they sympathized with him because they had no idea what he had endured. Much to his surprise, Elesa had given him an entire lunch bag from out of her purse. Her kindness wasn't forgotten and he promised her that he would do anything in his power to help her.

Her request was simple, but also dangerous. Elesa's parents always kept her locked in the house, afraid of what would happen to her in the city. She had asked him to sneak her out every Friday and tour the city, but if Elesa was ever caught or if anything ever happened out on the streets, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. What? Don't believe him? Thieves have honor too you know... She always repaid him with a little money, but it was enough to keep him alive. Back before he had met her, life was lonely and harsh, but now that he had jobs for the cartel, he was well on his way to getting out of Black City for good.

They walked close together and Justin could see numerous police officers scanning the streets in their patrol cars. Some were on the sidewalk talking to citizens and Justin saw a cold storage worker speaking to an officer. Guess they were investigating his earlier intrusion. They were almost to the exit into the business district, just a little farther…

His banged up Xtransceiver began to ring. Justin motioned to Carlos to hold on and he ducked into the nearest alleyway. He answered the call, but no face appeared on the screen. It was an audio only call.

"The old hideout in five minutes." The call ended as quickly as it began, but Justin knew exactly what the message meant. He stepped out of the alley and motioned to Carlos to come over.

"I need to go to a meeting Carlos. Take care of Elesa and tell her that I needed to go and take care of some business or something alright?"

"No problem man, you can count on me." The two of them nodded and Justin disappeared into the dark alley. Carlos was the only person he would ever allow to work with him. The two began to work together after a joint operation between two of their employers. They kept each other alive during the op and after that they decided to remain together since they worked better together. Justin thought back to the note Elesa had left him and still pondered on its meaning. He would figure out once he got out of the meeting.

Careful to avoid the numerous cops walking around, he walked in the crowds to blend with the rest of them. It was a little trade secret he picked up during one of his jobs. The street was growing ever more crowded and someone bumped into him and the two of them fell to the ground. It was a girl from what he could tell.

"Be more careful." The girl said nothing in return and simply got up and walked through the crowd. He couldn't see much of the girls' face, but he thought he saw a smile under the hood. Justin pressed forward; he was not going to be late for this meeting since his life may depend on his punctuality.

The entrance to the old hideout was in the sewers unfortunately so he had to delve into an old manhole. The smell was unpleasant to say the least, but after having to stay inside of them to hide from the cops, the sewer wasn't all that bad. There was a tall bald man in a dark suit standing watch by a rusty door. When the man saw him approach the door, he opened it, but didn't take his stare off of him. The musky room he entered was full of cobwebs and the old furniture was covered in a one-inch thick layer of dust. There was a man standing by a table. He turned and Justin immediately recognized the face of the Poison Cartel boss. He was a thin man in a dark violet suit with hair gelled to the side. His face was gaunt and his dark eyes were devoid of any feeling. However when he saw Justin he smiled.

"If it isn't Justin!" He looked him over as he approached. "You've grown kid! It's been a year since I last saw you, but you look like a totally different person."

"Thanks boss." He raised a hand and shook his head.

"No need to be formal. Just call me Jack."

"Alright then… Jack." To call this man by his first name was incredibly strange since he was always required to call him boss as long as he worked for him. "What are you doing back in your old home turf?" Jack gestured with his hand for Justin to sit in a chair. After Justin was seated, he began to speak.

"I came back here for two reasons. The first is that I need to talk to you and the second is that there's an issue."

"Am I involved in that issue in some way?" Jack clapped his hands and pointed at Justin with a smile on his face.

"You're quick kid, but yeah you're right. The problem does have something to do with you." Justin's paranoia was kicking in to high gear now. Anyone who made problems for the cartel was usually in big trouble. He snapped his fingers and from the shadows came Jack's right-hand-lieutenant. The man looked and acted like a sleazebag. His thin black hair was covered in grease, but some strands of his hair still came out of looking like pieces of burnt straw. He had a long face and a smile that only a mother could love… nope scratch that. No mother could ever love that smile. He was dressed in the same color suit as Jack, but his was more worn and unkempt. "You remember Lester don't you?" Justin suppressed the urge to choke Lester and through gritted teeth he said,

"Yes, I do." He and Lester had disagreed on many things. Justin had healthy paranoia, but Lester had the unhealthy kind. He had become so paranoid of Justin's closeness in the cartel's operations that he had sent hired guns behind Jack's back to try and get rid of him. Justin had discovered that nearly half the people who were after him were sent by Lester. Usually Lester never smiled around Justin, but today was different. He passed Jack a tablet and looked at Justin with an air of pure merriment. Jack flipped through the tablet and showed Justin an image of several wrecked supply crates. There were several bodies lying around the crates and Justin instantly recognized them as cartel troops. Someone had ambushed the crates and killed the troops, but these kinds of transport missions were always kept quiet. The only way for someone to have figured out about the shipment was if…

"Someone snitched on us." He pulled the tablet away and gave it back to Lester. Justin was starting to connect the dots and now he saw that Jack's original smile was replaced by a scowl.

"W-Wait! You think I did it? Jack you know I'm not stupid enough to snitch on you!" Lester's grin was now a full on toothy smile. Jack shook his head at him.

"I know you're smart. That's why you've been able to live so long. Did you know that the average life expectancy of teenagers growing up in Black City is seventeen years? You're only fifteen kid so consider yourself lucky you made it this far. You wouldn't be the first person I would think of to be a snitch, but I do know one thing. I know that you're desperate for cash so you can leave the city. Plus you're the only outside member of the cartel who knows about our operations. All fingers point to you and the evidence is hard to argue. Money is what makes the world go round and you prevented me from gaining quite the haul. Look, I don't want to do this to you kid, but I can't just turn a blind eye. If word gets out that I let you off the hook, then the other gangs will think I've gone soft. You've done a lot for me kid, but I'm afraid the cartel is no longer in need of your services." Justin started to get up, but two other cartel thugs pushed him against the table. Lester covered his held his head down while another thug was busy preparing a gag.

"Jack! If you're going to kill me just do it already!"

"Oh that's a no-no! We're going to kill you, just not here. I don't want to make a mess of the old place." The lackey placed the gag in his mouth and Lester covered his eyes with a blindfold. "Don't worry kid. We'll take good care of your friend Carlos and the girl… maybe she'll make a nice pet. Don't take it personally. It's just business." He tried to scream, but all that he could hear was the muffled sound of his rage. He felt an object hit the back of the head and he was starting to slip into semi-consciousness. He heard the distinguishable laugh of Lester and he felt his now limp body being picked up. He thought of Carlos and Elesa and if they were okay. His thoughts drifted back to the note.

"_**Last Night!**_" and he faded into the darkness…

He awoke when a splash of cold water hit him in the face. He awoke and saw through blurred vision the lumbering figures of Lester and his goons. He stumbled up to his feet. His vision cleared and he saw that he was out in a deserted field. There was a ditch behind him and Justin guessed that was going to be where they threw him after they killed him. The back of his head ached from the strike that incapacitated him, but he wasn't going to give Lester the satisfaction of knowing he was hurt. Lester lazily walked forward and laughed.

"Well it looks like the snitch is up boys!" The men behind him laughed, "You all awake now little boy?" He raised his arm to push Justin, but he caught it and threw his hand down.

"Yeah I'm up." Lester clutched his hand, but he still smiled.

"I case you haven't noticed, you're outnumbered or maybe you're just too stupid to count?"

"You know that I didn't snitch about that shipment Lester!" Another wave of laughter and Justin walked close to Justin so his voice was nothing but a whisper.

"I know that you didn't tell anyone, but I know who did." Justin's eyes widened in surprise.

"You do?" Lester nodded.

"Yeah and I'll give you a hint. He's standing right in front of you." Justin always knew that Lester was power crazy, but to betray Jack was signing your own death warrant.

"You did it? Why?"

"I want power of course! It's time for a change on leadership and soon Ol' Jack will be nothing but an afterthought." He took another step forward so that his face was right next to Justin's. "Oh and that girl you've been sneaking out with. Once I'm in charge… I'm going to make her my bitch." Justin lashed out and punched Lester right in the jaw. His goons jumped at the suddenness and Lester stumbled backwards. "You shouldn't have done that." From his jacket pocket he pulled out a pistol. It was aimed right at Justin's head. He saw Lester's finger start to squeeze the trigger and Justin braced himself. He knew that his luck would run out some- *ring*

The sound was coming from Justin's Xtransceiver. Justin looked at it and saw a small black device attached to it. The small piece of machinery was flashing furiously. Justin though he heard a noise in the distance. It sounded like an engine. Lester regained his concentration and took aim once again. Before he could put his finger to the trigger, several black armored vehicles appeared out of nowhere. There was mass hysteria as several cops came out of the vehicles. In the confusion, Justin scrambled away. The cartel obviously had the same idea and were chasing after him. Several officers pursued them on foot and some went into their miniature tanks. There was an abandoned shack up ahead and it seemed like some of the cartel had to split up. Just when he thought he was home free, he was tackled by one of Lester's goons. The thug tried to keep him down, but Justin managed to squirm his way out. As soon the both of them were on their feet, the thug had his pistol out. Without even thinking, Justin dropped down and swept the attacker's legs from under him. The gun fell out of his hands and both of them went for it. Justin grabbed it first and had it pointed it at the downed thug. The thought of pulling the trigger went through his mind, but he didn't do it. He may fight, but he would never take a life without good reason. He struck his opponent in the head with the butt of the pistol and watched his body go limp. He may not kill, but he would still knock your lights out.

The path to the shack was clear now. Justin sped forward towards it and stopped when he heard a high-pitched engine getting louder. From over the hill, a police motorcycle flew overhead. The rider jumped off and dive-bombed Justin. He tumbled to the ground with a grunt and the new attacker got to their feet. When he looked at his new adversary, he realized that it was the girl he had bumped into earlier. Whoever she was, she didn't let him recover. She ran forward and kicked Justin in the gut. He stumbled and there was another one to his side. He fell to a knee, but quickly got back up. He went forward with a kick of his own but before he could lift his leg, the girl's jacket flew in front of his face. He swatted it out of the way, but as soon as his vision cleared, the girl was already in mid-air, ready to pounce onto him. She hit him and he fell to the ground. She was straddling him and sat on top of his body with dominance. She kept his arms pinned to the ground. He looked up at the girl and gasped. She had shoulder length light auburn hair. Her hazel eyes were calm and she had a victorious smile on her face. The shiny badge of the Black City Police Force was pinned on the all-black uniform.

"I got you now."

"Lexie." She was the youngest police officer in the city and quite possibly the world. She was fifteen like he was, but she had proven herself to be as able if not more effective as the fully trained officers. Her young age also made her ideal for sneaking in with the crowds of troublesome teenagers. She was the only cop to ever catch him. "How'd you know where I was?" She chuckled.

"Your Xtransceiver." He remembered the little red beeping device and realized that it was a tracking device. "You should see the look on your face right now!"

"But when did you put that on there?" She pressed down on his arms a little harder and brought her face down so she could look at him right in the eyes. If she wasn't trying to arrest him, he would've found her to be hot.

"Don't you remember me bumping into you?" He wished he could've slapped himself for being such a dolt. "Now I'm going to bring you in again and your little cartel friends too!" She brought him up and put him in cuffs. She kept his hands behind his back, but she still remained on top of him. It was like she enjoyed having the feeling of dominance. She called up the rest of the cops and reported in. She had her head turned the other way and that's when he made his move. He bucked his hips up and knocked her off balance. While she was struggling to recover, he got up and retrieved the gun from the ground. She was getting her weapon out as well, but he steamrolled over her. He turned his head and shouted back at her,

"Better luck next time Lexie!" He made it to the shack and barge into the door only to see Lester sitting on a hay bail. He had his gun pointed at him. Lester looked beat up. His already messed up suit was even mangier. Justin noticed a dark spot by Lester's pants and a hole in them too. He walked with a limp and Justin knew that he had taken a bullet wound trying to get here.

"Welcome Justin…" His voice was tired and his rat like face was pale with the loss of blood. Justin raised his own gun and pointed at Lester. The two were circling each other for a while when Lexie came in with her gun raised.

"Freeze you two!" They turned to her and turned back to each other. Each of their weapons switched targets every few seconds. Justin could hear the sounds of helicopters and police sirens in the distance. Lexie stared at both of them intensely. "Hear that? You two are going to get caught, even if I die." Justin looked at her and saw that her hands were shaking. She may have been a good cop, but Justin didn't think she was sure if she wanted to make that sacrifice yet. His head throbbed and suddenly the noise from outside became non-existent.

"_Ju…stin…" _Another throb of pain hit him. "_Lis…ten to…me..." _The throbbing continued and the pain was so great that he dropped his gun. "_You…will…come…must….come…" _ He looked towards Lexie and saw that she was doing the same thing that he was. "_Forget…this world…...save….me!" _The pain was now coursing through his body and it felt like he was being pulled upwards into the sky. He looked at Lexie. She was glowing and her body was disappearing slowly into the light. Lester was looking at the two of them like he was losing his mind. Justin looked at his own skin and saw that he was glowing as well. When the light reached his eyes, he felt a sharp push and he was launched forward into the sky.

**Ohhhhhhh! What has happened to Lexie and Justin? Whose voice was that? Well a few of those questions will be answered on Sunday! If you're interested in making an OC, PM and I'll send you details! I finally worked the specifics out so feel free to submit! Peace! **

**-N-Black, Out**


	4. Chapter 3

**N-Black is back with a new chapter of Legacy! No pressing business to share with you, so let's roll out the chapter! **

** Chapter 3: A New World**

Justin opened his eyes and immediately felt his head throb. He clutched his head and looked around. He was inside a barn of some sort, but it looked different from where he was earlier. The light of the sun penetrated the gaps in the wood and they warmed his face. Was he dead? If this was heaven, he would be highly disappointed. There was no sign of Lester, but he felt someone holding him. He turned his head and nearly screamed when he saw Lexie holding him. She was asleep as well, but if she woke up and saw this… things wouldn't be pretty. Carefully, he lifted her arm off of him and he stood up. He could hear the sounds of birds chirping and the hay underneath him crackled as he shifted his weight.

He made his way to the barn door and as he pushed it, it let out a long creak. Justin turned his head to see Lexie starting to stir. The door wasn't even half open yet so he left it alone. It would be better if she woke up on her own so that he could explain the situation. However, he had no idea what the situation was at the moment. The barn was much bigger than the one he was previously in. There was another pulse of pain in his head. Justin remembered the voice that he heard in his head. It sounded like many people talking at once and he blacked out after it finished talking.

Wherever he was now, he hoped that Carlos and Elesa were safe from Jack and the cartel. Once he figured out where he was, he would need to change his identity so that they couldn't track him. The cartel doesn't forgive treason very easily. Lester had set him up to be killed and that wasn't going to be forgiven as well. He checked on Lexie to make sure she was still snoozing. She looked peaceful, but anybody does when they aren't trying to kill or capture you. He noticed that the two guns they had were on the ground and he quickly retrieved them and placed them on inside of the waist of his jeans so that if she did wake up, she couldn't shoot him in the back. There was nothing to do except wait so he took a seat by a few farming tools. As soon as he plopped on the ground, multiple tools fell to the ground with a harsh clang.

He waited for her to wake up, but she just turned over as if nothing happened. She must be one heavy sleeper. Justin took a breath and exhaled in relief. As soon as he was done with his exhale, Lexie's eyes snapped open. She tackled him down to the ground and he instantly felt a rush of déjà vu.

"Thought you could relax eh? You should know that I sleep as light as a mouse."

"**More like a dead mouse…"** He thought.

"Where are we?" She pulled him by his shirt so that they were face-to-face.

"I don't know." She shook him violently.

"There's no use lying! Tell me where we are or I'll…" She felt around her holster for her gun. "I'll…I'll"

"You'll what? Shoot me? Sorry, but I already took care of that officer." She grunted and pushed his head down with her elbow.

"Doesn't matter. I can still just punch you to death so tell me where we are." Her elbow was constricting his airflow so it was making it hard to speak.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Lies!"

"I'm telling the truth! You said it yourself before we blacked out. You had the place surrounded with cops so we're obviously not back in that old shack!" Her eyes still bored into him, but he could see the cogs turning in her head to try and make reason of the situation.

"Fine." She rolled him over and immobilized him with her leg.

"W-What're you doing?! I told the truth!" She was busy binding his hands with a piece of twine from nearby.

"You're right that we're probably not in the same place, but that doesn't change the fact that you're a criminal." She bound his hands so tight that they felt like they would break. She kept him pinned down like before except now he couldn't do anything. Lexie was busy checking her equipment but she tossed them to the ground. "Damn, no reception. Guess I'll just have to bring you in on foot." She brought him up and kept a close eye on him as they approached the doors. "Where'd you put the guns?"

"Don't I get any questions Lexie?" She kicked the back of his knee to make him fall. She patted him down and reached his waist. "Whoa, watch where you place your hands!" She tucked the two firearms in her holsters and smiled slyly at him.

"You watch your mouth first little boy."

"I'm not little! I'm older than you!" She looked him over.

"You look small to me." After she brought him up, Lexie forced him through the barn doors. Justin saw vast rolling hills and what appeared to be a small farm over the distance. He looked further and saw that a man was coming towards the small farm.

"Who's that?"

"How am I supposed to know?" She pushed him and he continued forward. The man was getting farther now and Lexie stopped Justin. She whispered to him, "Follow my lead of you don't want a bullet in the leg." He felt the cold metal through his jeans and he silently nodded. She appeared to be enjoying the control she had right now. "Excuse me!" The man turned and looked at them. "We need your help with directions to the next town." The man who was now approaching them looked to be middle-aged. His thick moustache and brown hair were graying and the lines on his face were deep. His tan linen clothes were ragged and stained with the colors of grass and mud. Despite his rugged exterior, he had kind eyes and a welcoming smile.

"Hello there young ones! Who are you and what do you need help with?" Lexie put on a beautiful smile and talked with the nicest voice.

"I'm Lexie and this is Justin. We were curious for directions sir!" The man studied Justin and Lexie for a moment.

"So where are you and your boyfriend trying to go, hm?"

"Boyfriend?" Both of them said with surprised looks.

"He's not my boyfriend! No, he's my, uh, servant! Isn't that right?" She nudged his back with the gun to emphasize the point.

"Yeah! We're totally not a couple!" The man looked at them again.

"You're clothes are quite strange. Where do you come from?"

"We're from Black City." The man was now stroking his moustache and looking at them inquisitively.

"Black City?"

"Yes that's where we're trying to go." The man shook his head.

"I'm afraid I've never heard of that city before." Justin and Lexie both looked confused.

"Sir, where are we right now?" Justin asked.

"We're just on the edge of Flocessy town." Justin and Lexie both exchanged glances. "Is something the matter young ones?"

"No sir we're just…tired."

"How long have you two been traveling?" Lexie didn't answer right away so Justin took initiative.

"We've been traveling for a week now. This has been our first stop since. My poor, poor master was just so tired on the first day that I had to carry her for the next two! Master Lexie is really quite frail." Lexie and the man's eyes widened.

"A whole week of travel? Come with me to my home, you must rest!"

"Are you sure? We don't want to be an imposition Mr..."

"My name is Daichi and I do not mind! I don't want to see you collapse from exhaustion at such a young age, now come." Daichi walked off and they followed. Lexie looked at him with incredulity and anger.

"I think you should probably unbind me… master." She gave him a scowl and untied his twine cuffs, but Justin barely caught a glimpse of the smile she hid. Guess she had a thing for dominance after all. As they walked the hill path, Daichi talked all about his farm and the town. The information wasn't anything new. Justin already knew that Flocessy was famous for its ranches.

"Here is my home!" He pointed upwards towards a cozy looking wooden house. "I must tell my family about the situation, so why don't you two look at the barn until I come back for you." Daichi walked inside of his home and that left the two of the alone once again.

"Why don't we look at the barn? After you master." She gave him a nasty look and went inside. Both of them were now inside the barn and boy did it smell like one.

"Great. I get to look at a bunch of stinky animals." Justin walked forward first and saw what appeared to be cows. He inspected closer and saw these cows were walking on their hind legs. They were round and pink and they all turned and looked at him.

"Uh, I don't think that these are animals Lexie." He continued down and there was some horse stables up ahead. "Horses…those are normal." He looked at the yellowish horse in front of him and it looked normal with the only exception being what appeared to be a horn on its head and the lack of a mane and tail. It was sleeping when he approached it so he decided to play a prank.

"BOO!" The horse awoke and flames shot from where its mane and tail were supposed to be. It reared and Justin fell to the ground screaming. He couldn't tell who was more scared: him or the horse. Daichi rushed into the barn with a bucket of water and splashed it onto the horse and onto Justin. The horse settled down and shook the water off of its fur. Justin sputtered and shivered from the water. "What was that for?"

"To cool both of you down." He helped Justin up.

"That isn't a horse and those aren't cows." Daichi raised an eyebrow.

"Horse and cow? What are those? These are Miltank and Rapidash." Justin looked at Daichi with shock.

"These aren't animals?" Daichi shook his head.

"No. These are Pokémon silly boy. Don't you have them from where you come from?"

"No …" Daichi led him and Lexie, who was suppressing her laughter at Justin's reaction in the barn, to his home. He was still trying to absorb the fact that Pokémon were real. Wherever they were, it wasn't where they came from. The windows let in the sunlight and he could smell fresh food on the table.

"Welcome to my home. This is my wife, Aina and my daughter Minako. Family this is Lexie and her servant Justin" Aina looked similar to her husband in her tired and worn appearance, but Justin could tell that she was a strong woman. Her once black hair was gray and was styled into a bun. Minako was very pretty and she appeared to be around his age. She had long brunette hair with her bangs cut straight across and soft brown eyes that held the strength of her mother and father. Both of them wore plain kimonos. "Please make yourself at home. Lunch will be served soon."

Justin removed his jacket and Minako swooped in and grabbed it.

"I got this. Please have a seat." Lexie awkwardly took a seat at the table. It felt good to be somewhere safe again. He was never really safe in Black City, but the incident with the cartel really did make him feel as if he had traveled a whole week. He took a seat at the table and noticed that Minako was staring at him curiously.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She turned away shyly.

"Oh, I apologize…"

"For what?"

"It's not polite to stare at the company."

"Hey I don't care! People have done worse than stare at me back where I'm from." She turned around with surprise in her eyes.

"You don't care?"

"Nope."

"You don't mind if I ask you a question?" Justin shook his head in reply. "I was curious about your clothing. Your master and you dress very differently." His eye twitched when she said master. He didn't like to be under anyone's thumb, even if it was just an act.

"That's because we're not from here."

"You're from a place called Black City, correct? What's it like?" Justin thought back to the city with disgust.

"It's horrible." Minako tilted her head in confusion.

"But you are trying to go back?"

"Yes." Justin had a feeling that her questions were going to be a little annoying.

"If it is so terrible, why do you try to go back?" He thought about her question carefully.

"There are people I need to see. I need to know if they're okay." Minako closed her eyes.

"I see… is one of these people… a lover?"

"Oh, uh, no I mean… I care about them of course, but…" Minako giggled and turned her head to the food coming to the table.

"I will ask no more questions if it isn't comfortable for you to answer them." Justin turned his head and saw that Lexie was smiling but she quickly stopped when he turned his head. The food on the table looked magnificent. They all had fresh glasses of berry juice and their lunch consisted of eggs, bread, what appeared to be bacon, and some fresh oatmeal. Justin dove in ravenously. Though it wasn't food fit for kings, it was better than what he usually got in the city. He almost never got a hot meal. Justin wasn't aware of how vicious he was until he looked up at the rest of them. He had ripped another piece of pseudo-bacon off in his teeth and he was willing to bet he looked like a wild animal, wait, he meant to say wild Pokémon.

"You're quite hungry." Daichi said. Justin ate the rest of the bacon and swallowed.

"Yes, I'm afraid my master doesn't give me a lot to eat." He leered towards Lexie and she simply took a bite out of some toast.

"That isn't true! You just have horrid table manners." All of them laughed except for Justin who was now smoldering with anger. They finished their lunch and Daichi rose from his chair.

"Well that was a fine meal Aina! I'm going to go down to the market area, do you two want to tag along?" Lexie rose and smiled once again.

"Yes, I would love to tour the town! Justin!" She clapped her hands together and waited for him to come to her side.

"Yes…master."

"Grab my things and carry them for me." Justin grabbed Lexie's bag and shot her the "I-hate-you-so-much" look.

"Wait before we go, put these on." Daichi handed the both of them sets of linen clothing, Justin had the trousers and top while Lexie wore a kimono. "We'll get all sorts of unneeded questions if you go down in your regular clothes." Both of them changed and Justin was surprised how comfortable the clothes were. "Ready? Let's go. We'll be back soon." With Daichi's last farewell, the three of them walked down the hill and soon the small town of Flocessy was visible. They walked through the wooden archway and through the dirt streets. There were various stalls all selling their products. Justin saw three tailed bulls pulling a large shipment of something.

"What're those?"

"Those are Tauros. They bring the muscle to pull large transports of grain into and out of the city."

"So what're we going to get?" Lexie was busy looking around while she asked. Her eyes were darting all around the village.

"We're going to go see about getting some fresh vegetables for the stew tonight. Our plants have been growing slowly this year so we have to go buy some." They stopped by a shady stall. Daichi left Justin and Lexie outside to look around for a while.

"They're nice folk." Justin directed the statement at Lexie who was busy fiddling with a twig.

"They are, but we're not staying here much longer."

"What do you mean we're not staying? Isn't it obvious that we're not in our world anymore? I mean come on! There's Pokémon! POKÉMON for crying out loud!"

"Even if this is a different world, which I highly doubt, we can't just lounge around at Daichi's home forever!" She rose to her feet to emphasize the point.

"Are you completely oblivious to the evidence? All the proof that we're not back home is all around you and what's with all this "_we"_ talk? You can leave and get lost somewhere, but I'm staying here!" She grabbed his arm forcefully.

"No you're not! You're still a wanted criminal remember?" Justin forced his arm out of her grip.

"Not in this world! You're not bringing me in! I need to find my friends!" She pointed accusingly at him.

"What if they're not in this world, huh?" She was right. What if they weren't here? As a matter of fact, why would they be here anyways? "You see? You'll never find your friends if we don't find a way back!" He sat down in defeat.

"Y-You're right…" It hurt to admit it, but it was the truth. "But I'm not giving up! I'll look for them here first and then I'll go home."

"You're too stubborn sometimes, you know that?" Lexie sat back down as well. There was an air of silence between the two of them until in the distance, a horn blew majestic fanfare. Justin heard a shout from the main gate.

"Make way for the knights of the Plasma Crusade!" Another burst of fanfare from the horn. Daichi and an old woman with stringy hair that Justin guessed was the store owner came out with worried faces.

"Have the knights passed yet?" They shook their heads. He motioned for them to stand up and so they did. Justin looked around at the all the other townspeople and noticed that all of them were out of their shops and in the road making sort of a human pathway. The four of them walked down into the dirt road and Justin saw a group of armored soldiers. Their silver armor gleamed in the sunlight and their banners billowed behind them. Their armor had a cloth tabard that carried the same insignia on the banner: The electric blue letter P that covered a horizontally flipped Z and they were rested on a black and white shield.

"The Plasma Crusade?"

"I will explain later, now we must be silent." Justin did as he was told. Whatever it was that made the knights so intimidating, Justin didn't want to find out the hard way. The group of warriors stopped in the middle of the town square and lined up. The apparent leader of the knights stepped forward and unrolled a scroll of parchment.

"By order of his majesty, your lord and divine ruler N, I, Knight Commander Wallace, decree that Ryuji Tawanaka step forward!" From the long line of people, a balding middle-aged man with glasses walked nervously forward. The Knight Commander looked him over with apparent disgust. "You are Ryuji Tawanaka?" It was deathly quiet when Tawanaka answered.

"Y-Yes Knight Commander Wallace." The Knight Commander cleared his throat and raised the parchment.

"Ryuji Tawanaka, you are found guilty of aiding the rebel forces who seek to overthrow the king. Credible sources have informed the Crusade of your activities that include the sending of food and supplies to the sworn enemies of the throne. Do you deny these claims?"

"Knight Commander Wallace, I-I would never do such a thing! I would never betray my lordship!" Tawanaka was on his knees begging Wallace to listen to him, but the commander backed away in disgust.

"You may tell your story in a fair trial at court. Take him away." Two knights grabbed a flailing Tawanaka and bound his wrists and gagged his mouth. "Let this be a reminder to you all to report any suspicious activity to the king's forces, unless you wish to face charges of high treason against the king." The knights stored their new prisoner in a cart and moved out towards the south gate. Justin stared at the Knight Commander with rage. He was pompous and the powers he held were inflating his ego. Wallace stopped and walked towards Justin and Lexie.

"Good afternoon Daichi." He and the store owner dropped to one knee and bowed deeply and Lexie followed, but Justin remained standing. The Knight Commander had the kind of moustache that a cartoon villain would have. It curled and his face may have well been the definition of smug and ignorant. The only thing that made Justin worried was the sword at his side. Wallace looked him over. "Kneel boy." He dropped to the same position as the rest of them and he casually said, "Rise." When all of them were standing, Wallace turned his attention to Daichi. "So Daichi, is your girl almost ready?"

"Y-Yes sire."

"Excellent! Lord Zinzolin will be pleased to hear that, he's been waiting for news anxiously, as have all the people in Castelia City." His eyes moved to Justin and Lexie, "Who are these two Daichi? I haven't seen them before."

"This is Justin and Lexie. They are travelers who are stopping by in the village." Wallace gave Justin a smug look.

"Hmph, travelers? Well where ever you're from, you will show proper respect to the knights, understood?" The question was directed at Justin, but both of them answered.

"Yes sire."

"Good. I must be off then." He walked back down into the ranks of his fellow knights and the clang of their armor was gone. Once the knights were gone, the town resumed to their usual activities.

"Come you two. We must go back to the house so we can talk." Daichi moved quickly and the lines on his face seemed to deepen. When they finally reached the house, Daichi shouted orders to close the blinds and lock the doors. Aina came out of her bedroom with Minako and they both had the same worried expression.

"The knights came?"

"Yes."

"They…they…" She looked at her daughter with sadness. "They wanted her didn't they?"

"Yes." Aina and Minako began to break down into tears and Daichi embraced the both of them. "Don't worry. I'll see what I can do to stop this madness. Come you two, sit. We have much to talk about." Lexie and Justin pulled their chairs out and sat. The three family members sat at the table and Daichi began. "Those warriors that you saw today are with the forces of King N, the ruling monarch of Unova and the leader of the Plasma Crusade."

"In the town all the people seemed to be so afraid of them." Lexie said.

"You're right that we are afraid of them. The Plasma Crusade was not the ruler of this fine land before. Before the knights came, the land was ruled by Emperor Alder." He closed his eyes and smiled at the memory. "He was a great man and life in the land was peaceful. There was no war, no strife, and no poverty. That all changed when the Plasma Crusade sailed onto the shores of Undella five years ago. They ravaged the lands and burned down the White Forest, our sacred land. They continued forward, but our army failed to stop them from reaching Alder's throne. N was only thirteen when he defeated Alder, the greatest warrior in Unova. He claimed the throne and the region has been under his thumb for five years now. Things were peaceful until last winter, when Flocessy Town went through a famine. We called for emergency supplies, but we received no reply from the king's court." Justin couldn't hold back his question.

"He didn't send you anything? What kind of king would let his own people starve?"

"I asked myself that same question during that time. My family suffered and the people of this very town suffered. Word had gotten out about the lack of action and our neighbors, the people of Virbank City, raided the food supply the knights had and sent it to us."

"What did the king do?" Daichi looked down and kept speaking.

"He sent a detachment of troops and they were ordered to slaughter half the population of the city. It could be anyone: men, women, children… just as long as half the people were gone." Lexie raised her hand to her mouth in shock. "The dead were tossed into the stream so that we couldn't drink any of the water. This act of violence enraged some of the people and there were riots in towns and cities and soon a small rebellion was formed. They've been fighting the king and his knights for the past year, but their forces are too great. It's just a matter of time before they fall…"

"So that's why that Tawanaka guy is being sent to court. I hope he's released. He didn't do anything wrong from the looks of it." Lexie spoke with the hopefulness of a cop, but Daichi shook his head.

"There will be no trial young one, but your optimism is welcome. I'll be surprised if he gets put in jail. What most likely awaits him is the headsman's axe." Justin was so shocked to hear it. Why did the king's court not give him fair trial?

"So he may not even be guilty and they're still taking him to be executed?"

"Yes Justin. That is the harsh reality of this world." His heart sank. Justin thought that this world might have been a new place to start over, but it turns out that its worse here than in his old world. "Now Zinzolin of the Seven Sages, N's council, seeks Minako, my only daughter, he wishes to see her put in a brothel for his own sick amusement." He held his daughter close to him in a protective fashion.

"We need to do something! We can help you!" Daichi shook his head.

"I thank you for your offer, but we cannot stop it. If we tried with violence, the knights would slaughter us all. I'm trying to persuade him to not take my daughter, but I fear that it is in vain." Justin felt his rage peaking at a new level. He rose from his seat like a rocket.

"But we can try! If we don't try we won't know what could've happened! It's your duty as a father to protect your daughter!" Daichi rose as well, his lined face reddening with rage.

"How dare you insult me like this? Face the facts boy, we cannot win! I would rather die than see my daughter taken from me, but if I tried my entire family would die! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT I CAN DO?" His eyes welled with tears and he fell to the floor bawling. Aina coddled him as did Minako. Justin fell to his seat and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Diachi got back to his feet and calmed down. "You may stay here tonight, but you must leave in the morning. I bid you good luck in your travels." He left through a wooden door and Aina followed him.

"I told you we should leave." Lexie placed one of her hands on his shoulder. "It's for the best."

"Maybe you're right." Justin looked up and saw Minako looking up into space with a blank expression. "Minako I'm sorry about your father…"

"Don't be." Her words were as cold as ice. "You have to stay here for the night." She pointed at the two couches in the small living room. "I wish you safe travels." She rose and left for her room without even looking at them. Justin made his way to one of the couches and laid down. He had been so insensitive to Daichi. He wanted to apologize to the family that had taken care of him, but now after seeing what he did to Minako and Daichi, he couldn't face any of them. They gave him and Lexie shelter for the day and how had he repaid them? By telling Daichi what to do against impossible odds and for crushing the pride he had as a father. Justin was sure that he had come to terms with this outcome and that his accusations brought him more pain.

"**I'll make it up to you." **Those were his last thoughts before he drifted off to sleep…

**Chapter 3 is finished guys! For those of you wondering what the Unovians are wearing, look up Princess Mononoke and look at the villagers. If you want to, watch the movie! It's amazing! Anyways, send in PM's if you want to get the OC info and there will be an update for Legacy tomorrow since I made this chapter on Saturday! Don't forget to drop a fat ass review!**

** -N-Black, Out**


	5. Chapter 4

**N-Black is back with a new chapter of Legacy! This one is going to be a little short, but it sets the pace for the story, so bear with me! **

** Chapter 4: For the One's We Love **

Justin was awakened in the middle of the night by a frantic looking Aina.

"Wake up child!" He opened his eyes. They still felt heavy with sleep and everything around him was a blur.

"Wh-What's going on?" He asked sleepily. Aina peered through the blinds and turned back with even more worry in her eyes.

"T-The Knights! They're coming!" She led him to her bedroom and he saw that Lexie was busy getting her things together. She looked up with complete seriousness in her face.

"Good, you're up. Follow me." She crouched and opened up a small trapdoor.

"Wait, what're we doing?"

"We're getting out of here! The knights are coming for us!" Daichi came in and handed Aina a package.

"Give these to them Aina. I'll keep the knights busy." Justin grabbed his shoulder to stop him from leaving.

"Daichi! What's going on?"

"There is no time to explain in detail. Minako!" She came in with her things. She looked prepared to travel. "You three are going to leave this place."

"Why?"

"Those knights are coming for you and Minako and I shall not turn any of you over to them." He turned to leave, but Justin stopped him again.

"Daichi I'm… sorry." The man's hard face softened.

"We will have time for idle chatter later, but now you must hide. Go quickly!" He gently guided him into the trapdoor. Once he helped Minako inside, Aina closed the top and placed a rug over it. Now they sat in the dark musty underground. The only sounds were the thuds of Daichi's and Aina's feet on the hard wood planks. From what little light came into their hiding place, he could see that Minako had a worried look on her face. Her breaths were short and rapid. Lexie placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine." The clanging of the knight's armor was closer now and Justin could hear the sound of their metal covered hands pounding on the front door. He heard the door open and the sound of armored footsteps filled the house.

"Sorry to disturb you so early in the night Daichi, but Zinzolin has ordered that Minako be taken to Castelia City immediately." The voice belonged to the Knight Commander Wallace, the smug knight from yesterday.

"But, sir! She is not ready just yet! She has yet to reach womanhood!"

"Yes, yes, yes, but Zinzolin has ordered it so it must be done. Also he said something about he liked them when they're young." There was a chorus of chuckles from the rest of the knights and even though Justin couldn't see him, he was sure that Daichi was red with anger. "Another thing, what of those travelers who were with you yesterday?"

"They left after they got supplies. Why do you ask sire?"

"My commander has a few questions for them. So where did they say they were going?"

"They were going into the mainland, but they would not share where. They said it was personal business." There was a tense silence that followed. What if Wallace saw through their rouse?

"That's a shame. I guess we'll just have to settle for your daughter then. Where is the lovely flower?"

"I believe she may be out in the fields going for a walk. Aina why don't you go put something on and check outside. I will serve our guests. Knight Commander would you and your companions care for a drink?"

"That sounds good Daichi. We'll wait here for your wife to return with her." Aina came into the room and shut the door. She opened the trapdoor and handed Minako a candle.

"You two, follow Minako through this tunnel." She pointed to the now illuminated entrance. "It leads to the barn. When you're there, take two Rapidash and go to Virbank City!"

"Mother!" Minako reached for her mother one last time.

"I will see you soon my young flower. Now, go!" She closed the trapdoor once again and now they followed Minako through the secret tunnel. It was cramped and they had to remain hunched over the entire way to the barn. Justin could hear Minako sobbing. He never had parents to take care of him when he was born. He was used to be being by himself, but Minako had parents that loved her. It must've been hard for all of them to say goodbye.

"Minako?"

"Y-Yes?"

"We'll get out of this. All of us." They kept going forward and soon they reached an old wooden ladder.

"It is up here. Come." They opened the hidden door and sure enough they were back in the barn. No sooner than they arrived, Daichi came inside.

"Good you're all here." Minako was busy preparing the Rapidash when Lexie asked,

"Where is Aina?"

"She's back at the home serving the knights." He walked over to a pile of rusty farm tools. He pulled out from underneath the pile, a sword in its scabbard. He unsheathed it and the blade gleamed. The light of the candle reflected off of the steel and it shimmered. Justin recognized the design. The sword was called a katana and it one of his personal favorite medieval weapons.

"Father what're you going to do?"

"Do not worry daughter. This blade is my last resort. Are the Rapidash ready?"

"Yes father." Daichi looked at all of them with the kind eyes of a father.

"Justin!" He looked up with attention. "Take care of Minako on your travels."

"Of course." Daichi gave him one last thoughtful look. There was a loud thud at the barn door. The doors were kicked open by several knights and they soon had them surrounded. Wallace walked slowly through the group, clapping his hands slowly.

"I must hand it to you Daichi. You had me fooled. I honestly thought that they were gone, but something just told me to look here." He drew his sword as did the other seven knights. "Daichi Umahara! I place you under arrest for hiding the property of one of the Seven Sages and for withholding interrogation suspects!" Daichi held his sword out with confidence.

"You shall not take them!" He whispered so that only the three of them could hear. "Tell the Rapidash to use Ember." Minako was the closest and she leaned into the Pokémon's ear and whispered. The Rapidash reared and their flaming manes appeared. The knights fumbled back and the Rapidash blew multiple small flames at their feet. The small flames soon became a large wall as they reacted with the dry hay. "Go now out of the back door!" Justin took the reins of the Rapidash and led it outside with Lexie and Minako behind him. They were nearly out of the door when three knights stopped them.

"Halt!" They stopped in their tracks and the knights advanced towards them with their weapons drawn.

"What do we do?"

"Minako hide!" She ran for a stack of hay bales and the knights charged. Justin grabbed a rusty shovel and slammed it into the chest of one of them. The knight staggered, but did not fall. He came forward again and chopped the wooden shaft in half. The knight smirked and went in for another strike. Justin rolled out of the way and threw the broken wood at him. The diversion was easily swatted away and Justin went for a pitchfork. The two of them were squaring up for the next strike. His opponent moved first. He came down with a fast sword swing which Justin barely managed to stop by catching it in one of the pitchfork's gaps. The knight was pressing down and soon the sword point would be at his neck, ready to stab. He couldn't push the pitchfork up, but out of nowhere, a sword flashed and the knight fell to the ground with a thud, a long cut was now on his chest. Justin turned to see Daichi.

"Hurry boy! Grab the knight's sword!" Now Justin had a real weapon. He glanced over to see Lexie sweeping the armor-clad knight's legs from under him. The weight of his armor made it hard for him to give up and in in one smooth move, she struck his jaw. The knight lay unconscious on the barn floor. Justin looked around for Minako, but she was being pulled away by third knight. Justin ran over and tapped the knight's shoulder. He turned and Justin smacked the pommel of his sword into his face. He fell to the ground with a broken nose. Justin kicked the side of the knight's head for good measure. Daichi came with Lexie to see what had happened.

"Good one boy! Let's leave…" Wallace and three knights were blocking their escape. His curly moustache was singed at the ends.

"You will not leave here alive…" He approached slowly with the rest of the knights. There was no way they could fight them all off. Daichi was busy fighting off two of them at the same time while Lexie charged Wallace. Justin's adversary came at him with a halberd, a long spear-like axe. The knight's arms were over his head and when he came close enough, Justin dropped to the ground and punched him straight in the balls. He was surprised to find no armor there. The knight dropped to the ground in agony and Justin kicked him in the face to secure the knockout.

Justin looked to see if Daichi was okay. The farmer had already killed one of them and was now wearing the other one down. Lexie was busy swinging the sword she had retrieved with fury, but Wallace blocked each of her blows. He parried and knocked the sword out of her hands. He backhanded her with his gauntlet and she flopped to the ground unconscious.

"Hey douchebag!" Justin yelled.

"How uncouth." Wallace approached him; his armor reflected the ever growing blaze in the barn. "You should surrender rather than risk your life here. You will be given fair treatment in the capital. Just cooperate." Justin spat at the ground by his feet.

"Screw you and your capital!"

"So be it." Justin rushed ahead and uttered a battle cry. He stabbed with the sword, but Wallace sidestepped. He kicked his back with the steel boot, causing him to fall forward. He got up quickly and readied himself for the next move. "You are foolish to think you can win boy. I am stronger than any regular man." He brought his sword down like lightning. Justin barely managed to block it. The blow sent shockwaves through his arm. It was if the blow carried extra vibration. He struck again, but when Justin blocked it, he could feel his sword vibrate from the impact. Wallace brought down his next strike and when he blocked it, the sword cracked. The cracks grew and the weapon fell apart. All he carried now was the handle. Wallace put the sword tip at his throat. "You are coming with me… dead or alive." He was about to thrust, but he turned around at the last second and blocked the incoming strike from Daichi. The two of them clashed and Justin went to Lexie.

"Wake up Lexie!" Her eyes opened and she helped her up. "Minako!" The girl emerged from her hiding place and helped Lexie over to the Rapidash. There was a loud creak and some of the barn's roof was falling down. It wouldn't stay up much longer so they had to hurry. Daichi and Wallace were now getting closer to him. He had to help him before he was overwhelmed by the repeated strikes. He grabbed a sword off the ground and charged forward. Wallace saw him approach and he knocked Daichi away. Justin made the slash and cut him across the cheek. Wallace pushed him back with his armored shoulders. He staggered and couldn't recover in time to block the incoming stab. He closed his eyes, but he heard another scream. He opened his eyes and saw Daichi in front of him, Wallace's sword sticking out from his back.

"D-Daichi!" Wallace pulled the sword out and Daichi fell to the ground. Wallace prepared another attack but there was a thud and he fell to the ground. He saw Minako standing behind where Wallace stood with the broken shovel in her hand. She and Justin dropped down to tend to him.

"F-Father!" Daichi opened his eyes to look at the two of them. He brought a shaky hand towards Minako's face.

"M-My beautiful daughter… I cannot protect you anymore…" She shook her head and tears fell down her face.

"No! That's not true! You'll always protect me!" A small laugh came from Daichi.

"I love you daughter… as does your mother."

"W-Where is mother?" He coughed and the color was draining from his face. Justin knew that he didn't have long.

"S-She…is underneath us…in the tunnel. Take her with you when you leave."

"No father! You're coming too! We can find you a doctor in Virbank City! We can start over!" A smile crossed Daichi's lips.

"I don't have that much time." He rolled his head to Justin. "Justin…"

"Yes?"

"Take my sword…" He moved his hand towards the blade and brought it to Justin. "Use it to protect the ones you care about. Use it to protect my daughter and my wife. Promise this old farmer that you will."

"I promise you Daichi." His smile widened.

"Thank you…" He turned his eyes to Minako again. "Goodbye Minako…" His eyes closed and he went still.

"No… father… YOU CAN'T DIE!" She clung to Daichi's lifeless body.

"Minako we have to go!" He attempted to pry her off, but she would not let go.

"NO! I WON'T LEAVE HIM!" He grabbed her forcefully and looked at her in the eyes.

"YOU MUST! I promised him that I would keep you and your mother safe and I'm not going to break it now!" She eventually submitted and let go. He told her to go to the Rapidash while he got her mother. He made it to the trapdoor entrance and helped Aina up. The roof was beginning to come down on top of them and if they didn't hurry, they would both die.

"Where is Minako?"

"Outside with Lexie and the Rapidashes."

"What of Daichi?" He gave her a solemn look and she seemed to understand.

"I-I see…" The roof shook and debris fell down near their only exit.

"We need to hurry!" He led her through the toppled hay bales and burning wood to the exit. Justin saw Lexie and Minako down the hill with the Rapidashes. The part of the roof that fell had covered Daichi's body. He looked for any sign of Wallace, but his shining armor was nowhere to be seen. They ran down the hill towards the Rapidashes when an arrow whistled past them and into the ground. There were several more and they increased their pace. The Rapidash were getting nervous with all the arrows flying at them and Justin knew they would take off with or without them if they got too scared. Aina was starting to fall behind and she was a good ten feet away by the time Justin made it to the rest of the group.

"Mother hurry!" Aina continued, but an arrow pinned her kimono to the ground. She yanked it out and kept going. The Rapidash were ready to go and they started to move. Justin got onto one of them with Minako holding his waist for support and Lexie got on the other one. Aina was within arm's reach of Minako now. "Mother, grab my hand!" Aina reached but her face turned to shock. She fell over and in her back was an arrow. Justin looked back and saw the satisfied face of Wallace. "MOTHER NO!"

They kept riding into the nearby forest and the whistle of the arrows died out. Justin could feel the tears of Minako through his tunic. She had lost her father and mother in the same night. He wanted to comfort her, but they had to keep going less they encounter the knights. Her sobs filled the quiet forest as the blood sun began to rise. The eerie glow did not signal a new day, but it represented the lives lost. Daichi died protecting Justin and Aina died trying to reach her daughter. They made their sacrifices for the one they loved…

**Chapter's done guys! Leave a review telling me what you think and don't forget to PM me for OC info! Update for Legacy on Thursday! **

** -N-Black, Out**


	6. Chapter 5

**N-Black is back with a new chapter of Legacy! I've been really excited to write this story and I haven't been able to keep it out of my mind! Let's roll out this sexy chapter shall we?**

** Chapter 5: Fight or Flight**

Carlos ran as fast as he could. The whizzing of arrows and the cries of sword toting warriors was too much to handle. It was especially so since he somehow ended up in the middle of it. All he remembered from earlier was that he was in the middle of a shootout between the cartel and the cops. He had gotten Elesa to get tot the business district safely, but now he had no idea what he was doing here. An arrow sailed past his messy black hair and the screams of agony filled his ears. The empty horizon was nearly upon him. There was another whizzing sound, but much deeper in contrast to the screams of the arrows. Carlos didn't dare take a look back to see what was happening.

A throbbing pain started in his head, very similar to the one he felt before he blacked out. That strange voice reverberated in the back of his mind. There was a sharp clang and Carlos was stopped in his tracks by two warriors. One of them had the armor of a knight and the other looked like a samurai or something. Carlos didn't really know, medieval stuff was more Justin's kind of thing. The samurai struck at the knight, but the sword glanced off of the armor. With a flourish, the knight slashed at the samurai and the sword cut through the leather and iron armor like butter. There was a splash of blood that now coated the knight's armor and it seemed that the victor had his eyes on Carlos.

The knight pointed his sword at Carlos but did not strike. It was quite possible that he couldn't tell whether he was friend or foe. Carlos raised his arms up in a surrendering gesture. Being captured was better than dying in Carlos's opinion though some say that there are worse things than death. The knight wasn't paying attention to the horseman coming from the side. A spear skewered the knight like a shish kabob and the horse… wait, did horses have fiery manes? The rider extracted his spear and charged forward on his flaming steed.

"**I've seen weirder."** Carlos thought. There was another round of that deep sounding whizzing and it seemed to be getting closer. The knights were pushing the other warriors back and Carlos was forced through the ranks. Many of the samurai fell to the knights and were slowly approaching Carlos's position. A sword thrust missed his face by inches and instead stabbed a flaming horse in the side. It neighed in agony and the armored rider was knocked off. Multiple knights went in on the downed horse and rider and stabbed with blinding speed. Their attention was turned to Carlos and they all lunged at him with their blood-soaked weapons. He scooted to the side and backed away.

"Listen we can talk this over alright." They made another move for him and he rolled backwards. "Guess you guys don't listen too well. Look you don't want to stab, cut, slash, or do any combination of those three to me because… you… you…" He thought about something to stall them for a little longer. "You don't want to mess up my jacket! It is a one of a kind jacket, I mean just look at it!" The knights did not lower their weapons in pity of his fashionable clothing. They all swung at him, but a mysterious force blocked the strikes. Someone jumped over him and landed in front of the attackers. From what he could see, the person was tall and thin, had dark, forest green hair, white samurai armor with tints of green that matched his hair and two weapons that were similar to appearance to a police officer's billy club. They had handles on them and the major difference between the police variant was that this guy had blades on his. The knights took a step back once they saw the new opponent, but quickly stepped forward once they realized they had the number advantage. Two of the knights charged the mysterious warrior and he quickly parried the blows and cut the knight's exposed necks with his weapons. They slumped to the ground clutching their throats and fell; their bodies still. The warrior got into a stance and the rest of the knights- about eight of them – rushed forward. The warrior's weapons extended. The bladed weapons were now two feet from his elbow. The knights stopped momentarily, but continued once again.

The warrior blocked all their strikes with one blade and stabbed one of he knights with his free weapon. The blade went through smoothly; as if the knight's solid armor was nonexistent. He retracted the extra two feet of the blade and pushed the rest of the knights with his other arm. They stumbled back, but the fighter did not let up. He had already extended his other blade and cut the back of one of the knight's legs. There was howl of pain and the warrior kicked the screaming soldier into the rest of the group. The diversion gave him several openings where the warrior cut through all the knights in the group. As he moved, everything else seemed slow. The way he fought with the blades made it look like they were part of his body. Blows were parried and the knight's armor was shredded. There was only one knight left, but he turned tail and ran. The warrior leaped and landed on the knight, sending him to the ground. He drove his two blades down into the knight. The man's foot twitched a few times before his muscles relaxed. The death dealer pulled his blades from the body of the knight and looked at Carlos.

His forest green hair covered his right eye, but his left eye was ruby red. On the front of his chest plate, there was a red triangle. Carlos backed away a few steps. He had no idea if this person would go after him next. The low toned whizzing split the air again and this time Carlos looked up. There was a black speck in the sun so it was hard to see it. It looked like it was getting closer to him. The whiz was getting more intense and before Carlos could think to get out of the way, the ballista spear struck him and sent him hurtling far back…

**DUN! DUN! DUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNN! Oh no! Carlos had been found to be alive but is struck by a giant Ballista bolt. Who is this mysterious warrior who leaves death in his wake? I know the update was short, but there will still be an update on Thursday! Figure out what happened to Carlos then and don't forget to PM me about OC info! **

**-N-Black, Out**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Stories Around The Fire**

Carlos awakened in a cold sweat. He had the most terrible nightmare. There were samurai fighting knights and people dying. The rest of the dream was fuzzy, but there was one clear thing that he remembered. The warrior with the green hair and fierce red eyes who had killed the knights seemed so real. He also vaguely remembered a black object coming from the sun and striking him. Carlos tried to sit up, but his entire midsection felt sore. Did he have some kind of stomach cramp in his sleep? When he put his hand to his stomach, he felt the coarse surface of lien bandages.

Upon closer inspection, Carlos realized that he wasn't in his room. It looked like he wasn't anywhere he really recognized. The surface he was lying on smelt like fresh grass. There wasn't any fresh grass in Black City. Despite the protest of his midsection, he propped himself up and realized he was in a densely wooded area. The air smelled so fresh compared to the pollution of the city. The rock next to him was covered in a layer of cool moss. There was a dim glow ahead and the smell of burning wood assailed his nostrils.

The crackle of the flames was new to Carlos since he had never been out of the city. There was a man sitting on a rotting tree stump who was tending the fire who looked oddly familiar to the green haired warrior in his dream. The glow of the fire lit up his head and even though it was dark outside, Carlos could see that the person's hair was green as the trees that surrounded them. The fire tender turned his head and those same red eyes were visible.

"You're awake." The person got up and Carlos saw the glint of his weapons that were hooked on his belt. Those were the same blades that had killed so many of the knights. Carlos scooted back a few inches. This guy had killed about ten armored knights single handedly so it made it a little difficult to feel comfortable him from the start. It was especially so since his weapons glinted ever so dangerously in the embers of the fire. "I see that you are afraid of me due to the battle earlier, but you have no reason to be alarmed." How'd this guy know what he was thinking? "Your curiosity to why I know what you thought is unsurprising." Now that was creepy.

"Who-

"Am I?" This guy just kept getting weirder. "I am known throughout my comrades as The Dancing Blade, but you may call me Cy."

"Cy?"

"Yes. My full name is Cy Bellum, but that is not important."

"I'm-

"Carlos, I know." Cy took a seat by the fire and retrieved one of his weapons. He pulled out a small cloth from his white tunic and began to polish the weapon. "What is important is why you're still alive." The memory of the battle came back to him. He remembered it all so vividly. The whistle of the arrows, the clang of steel colliding with steel, and the bloodcurdling screams of the men who fought and died… it was all so clear now. Cy looked at Carlos without stopping his polishing. "You were hit by a bolt shot from a ballista." Carlos had no idea what a ballista was, but he knew by the soreness in his stomach that he was hit by something rather large. "I see you don't know what a ballista is. It is a very large crossbow… He stopped talking when he saw Carlos's mortified expression.

"Could you stop peering into my mind? I don't know how you're doing it, but it makes me feel really uncomfortable." Cy took his second weapon out and began to polish that one.

"Sorry about that. I will tell you how I can read minds after I explain this to you." He continued the polishing until the blade shined in the fire. He hooked the two weapons onto his belt and relaxed on the stump he was sitting on. "You were hit by a sharp metal bolt that was about this big." He held out his hands about three feet apart from each other. "You took the hit and survived it. Not only that, but when the bolt struck you, it crumpled up into this…" Cy reached behind him and pulled out a mutilated metal object that was compacted like a soda can when it was flattened. He threw the lump of metal at Carlos and it landed on the earth with a thud. "Any normal man would be killed instantly, but you merely fainted and it wasn't even due to the ballista. You blacked out from the shock of being hit."

"So what am I, some kind of freak or something?" Cy's red eyes flared with irritation.

"That's what some would call you and me, but no… we are not freaks." His voice was harsh and it seemed obvious that someone had hurt him with similar words before. "We are gifted! Like Emperor Alder himself!"

"Who's Alder?" Cy looked surprised, but then he looked like he had a realization.

"I forget that you are not from here." Carlos shot him an accusing look.

"Did you go through my head while I was sleeping?"

"I would never do such a low thing!"

"You don't seem to have a problem doing it when I'm awake." Cy looked like he was losing his patience and his hands were dangerously close to his blades.

"You must understand that there are precautions I must take. I apologized for going through your mind already, but I warn you to not try my patience." His hands relaxed and fell to his sides. "As I was saying, you and I bear gifts. We were gifted with the powers of Pokemon."

"Whoa wait! Are you nuts? Pokemon don't exist." Cy gave him a cocky smile.

"Are you sure?" He ran to a nearby tree and kicked it. The tree shuddered with the intensity of the kick and a green object fell from the leaves as well as a few branches. Cy grabbed the green object and brought it to Carlos. It had small eyes and the carapace was tough looking. It looked like it was chrysalis, but the weird thing was that it was about two feet long.

"That is definitely not a regular bug…" Cy chuckled to himself and set the pupa down.

"That is a Metapod, The pupa stage of Caterpie. Pokemon are real Carlos and there are a few in this world who have the abilities of them." Carlos took a moment to look at the Metapod.

"I don't have this things abilities do I?" Cy shook his head and Carlos breathed a sigh of relief. If he was going to have powers, they weren't going to be the powers of a shell. "Then what kinds of powers do I have?" Cy's stoic face betrayed no hint of emotion. He was silent for a long while before he answered.

"I have no clear idea what powers you have, but it is obvious that one of them is superhuman endurance. As for what Pokemon it came from, I cannot tell you since I do not know." Well at least Carlos could take a punch. The discovery of these new powers was exciting, but also a little frightening.

"Hey Cy?" The green haired warrior looked at him attentively. Hopefully he wasn't going through his head. "What kinds of powers do you have?" Cy shifted about on his stump.

"I have the powers of a Gallade. They are known for their skill with the blades in their arms and for their valor. They also have psychic abilities so now you know how I could read your mind."

"Your hair color isn't natural…" Cy looked uncomfortable when he made the observation.

"No… No it is not natural. Some Gijinka take on more than just the powers of the Pokemon they represent. Some have physical attributes that match the Pokemon." Carlos was uneasy as well. What if he changed his appearance as well? "You shouldn't be worried about it though. If you're not different looking already, then you won't change." Carlos was wondering whether or not he read his mind, but refrained from asking when he saw Cy's hands hover over his weapons.

"You said that some…" He was rolling his hands in a gesture to continue the sentence.

"Gijinka?"

"That's the word!" So that's what we're called?" He gave him a nod and he sat back to process everything. He was definitely not in the city and what's worse is that Justin and Elesa are probably in danger right now. He glanced at Cy who was staring off into space. His red eyes reflected the campfire like a ruby mirror. "Listen Cy, I'm thankful for your help today, but there's something I need to do."

"And what is that?"

"I need to find my friends. I think they're in danger." Cy smiled with relief. What had he said that made him so happy?

"Then we have a common goal!" He rose from the stump and grabbed his blades with near invisible speed. Carlos scooted back once the blades were extended. "I am also looking for someone."

"Who're you looking for?" Cy's eyes softened with sadness. His shoulders sagged and his arms went slack.

"My sister. She is in Castelia City, which is just a half a day trip by boat from Virbank. I fear that she is in much danger and I have a proposition." Carlos wasn't sure where this was going, but maybe it could help him get back home. "I suggest that we work together to find your friends and my sister and after they have been found, I have a place where all of you will be safe." Carlos sat in thought to think of the best judgment possible. Was it wise to trust Cy's words? Was he lying and had a different plan for him?

"You promise that we'll be safe?" He bowed in a traditional fashion.

"I stake my life on those words." Traveling with a samurai death machine was safer than traveling alone. Carlos extended his hand to Cy.

"Alright, you've got yourself a deal." Cy shook his hand awkwardly. Maybe handshakes weren't the customary thing here.

"I am glad, but let's not waste anytime!" He extinguished the fire with a bail of water and gathered his things in a flash. The surrounding area looked as if they weren't there at all. The pair of them began to move through the forest, but slowly since Carlos was still sore. Before they were entirely gone Carlos had to ask,

"Do you work for anyone?"

"The Resistance, and I do not work for them, I _live _for them."

"Resistance?"

"I will explain later." With those words, the two of them disappeared into the forest and were on their way to Virbank to save the people they care about…

**Chapter 6 is done Beeyotches! I'm going to pace myself during this story so some chapters will be short, but they will fill very important parts in the story! Once again, if you're interested in sending an OC, PM me and I'll give you info! I need al the OC's I can get since this story will be mainly comprised of OC's. If you read Pokemon Academy, check out the new poll and vote for your favorite couple! If you don't read Pokemon Academy, then READ IT AND REVIEW! Update for Legacy tomorrow as well as an early update to Pokemon Academy! **

**-N-Black, Out**


	8. Chapter 7

**N-Black is back with a new chapter of Legacy! For those of you who read the last chapter of Pokemon Academy, you'll know that I'm starting the Question of the Day! Feel free to submit your answer in your review or PM me. The person with the best answer will have their response placed in the next update and I'll also give a shout-out to your writing! The question will be at the end of the chapter so sit back and enjoy! **

** Chapter 7: The Underbelly of Entertainment**

Elesa opened her eyes slowly. There were a lot of happy yells and the sound music playing. She was sitting in dark corner of the room far away from all the noise. Her head felt like it was going to split open earlier and then there were the voices and then the black out. It all happened so fast. Carlos had got her to Black Tower in one piece, but then he went back to get Justin. That's when all that strange stuff started to happen. This place wasn't Black Tower. There were no slot machines or TV's anywhere to be seen. She saw a bunch of happy looking women in skimpy looking clothes walking with a bunch of drooling men ogling them. The music was coming from a stage and not from speakers and was old sounding. The place was colorful and everyone seemed really happy.

Deciding she was safe, Elesa got up and walked around the area, careful to keep out of sight. All the other people in this place were dressed so differently from her. They wore what appeared to be silk robes. The material looked top-notch and thanks to Elesa's modeling background, she could tell whether the material was complete rubbish or not. She glanced over at a nearby woman. She was being playfully chased by a man who looked like he had one too many drinks. He followed her around and Elesa couldn't help but laugh at the little game. Maybe this was a different part of the Black Tower. The high pitched sound of a bell ringing calmed everyone down, including the drunken guy. There were footsteps far ahead the room. Elesa had to scoot in between the crowd to see what was going on. There was an elaborate loft where two people whom Elesa guessed were guards took positions. The guards weren't wearing suits and earpieces like Elesa's, but they had looked like they were wearing armor and she could barely make out the glint of a sharp looking weapon on their hips. Guess the place was big on old-time atmosphere.

She took the moment of silence to carefully examine the room. There were candles instead of electric lights and the décor in the room spelled five stars. The couches and tables had very elegant woodwork that was on par with Elesa's own furniture. There was another ring of the bell and the guards up above scanned the crowd. A man appeared in the middle of the loft. He was pale and had white hair that reached down to his chin. The man wore a hat that was golden brown and rose up like a chef. His stout body was draped in fine silk robes. From behind him, a group of women followed and gathered around him. The man's eyes were thin so it made him look like he was always squinting. He raised his arms and smiled.

"My fellow patrons! I welcome you to another night here at the Cloyster's Pearl!" There was a wave of applause from the men and when they settled down he continued, "I see that you are all quite… hungry… so I won't hold you back any longer." He clapped his hands and one of the girls brought him a glass of wine. He raised it like he was toasting them. "Drink up! Partake of the women. Tonight, my friends... the Cloyster's Pearl… is yours." With a loud cheer, the men grabbed a few of the women that were on the ground floor. Some more forcefully than others. She looked around and saw that one man was advancing on a girl violently.

"Hey!" The man turned his head. His round face was in a happy sneer and when he saw her, his eyes lit up like he had found a pot of gold. "Don't treat her like that!" The man looked her over with a smirk and let put of chuckle. He stood up and despite his fat exterior, he was tall. He towered over her and she walked backwards.

"I've never seen your face around here before." Before she could turn and run. He grabbed her with frying pan sized hands. "Oh ho ho ho! You're quite young aren't you? Zinzolin was talking about bringing some young girl in, but I didn't think he would let you out of his sights! Oh well... guess I'll just keep you for myself!" She struggled fruitlessly against the goliath. Where were Justin and Carlos? They had to come and save her, they just had to!

"Unhand her sir." The two of them turned their heads to see the man from earlier with his two guards.

"S-Sage Zinzolin?" Zinzolin nodded his head and the hulking beast released her grip on Elesa. She rubbed her arms in discomfort.

"Now go find a different girl and if you damage my girls..." The guards placed hands on their weapons. "I'll see you damaged." The giant lumbered away with a white face. Zinzolin turned and offered his hand to Elesa. "Hello my dear. I'm sorry that you had to go through that." She cautiously accepted his gesture of help.

"Thank you..."

"It's no problem. However I am curious to one thing." Zinzolin looked her over from head to toe. "I don't remember ever hiring you."

"Oh I don't work here."

"Ah I see... even though you may not work here I will still remain courteous." He leaned over to one of his guards and the guard left for the loft. "I'm going to make sure you're taken care of while you're here so please make yourself at home while my attendant comes to take care of you. Have a pleasant evening." He bowed and left to wander the rest of the floor with his guard. She took a seat by the empty couch and thought of what kind of place she was in. It wasn't a casino and it wasn't a bar. It was something else, but she didn't really know what. The guard came back down from the loft and with him was a tall and thin girl with mint green hair that covered her eyes. The one eye that was visible was ruby red. She wore a long white dress that billowed as she walked. In the very middle of the dress was a red triangle.

"Good evening. My master Zinzolin has instructed me to take you in. Please follow me." The woman dismissed the guard and now Elesa followed her to the loft. They walked through a hallway filled with skimpy dressed women and men. The women were leading the men into rooms and when Elesa passed an occupied room, she heard some rather... sultry sounds. The woman stopped and opened a door for Elesa to walk through. "You'll be staying here for now. I shall help you get settled."

The woman moved many of the small knick knacks around and Elesa was busy looking outside the window in her new room. There were no bright city lights or the sounds of cars. The houses were old looking in style and down the street there were people in armor walking around in groups. She wasn't in Black City anymore. "E-Excuse me?" The green haired girl stopped her cleaning and looked at her.

"Yes?"

"Where am I?" The woman gave her a confused look.

"You are in the Cloyster's Pearl."

"No I know that. What city am I in?"

"You are in Castelia City." Elesa turned around when she said Castelia. How had she gotten from Black City to Castelia?

"What?" She took a seat on the bed and the woman brought her a cup of tea.

"You seem to be in shock. What is the matter?"

"I...I'm not from here. I'm from Black City." The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Black City? I have never heard of such a place." Elesa buried her head in her hands. What was going on? How had she gotten here?

"Ms..."

"My name is Sera. Sera Bellum" She was still recovering from the shock of the moment when she answered.

"Okay...Sera. I don't know what I'm doing here, but I'm obviously not where I belong. Sera looked her over and nodded.

"I could tell from when I saw you that you were different. Please relax there is much for me to explain about this place." Sera went to the door and locked it. "We can speak in peace now. Please tell me who you are and where you came from." Elesa relaxed herself. For some reason she trusted this girl. Despite her strange appearance she looked like she could understand anything she said. Elesa talked about herself and the events that led to her coming here. Sera sat there and listened attentively to her story. Her revealed red eye held understanding in them. Once she finished the story, Sera folded her hands in her lap; she appeared to be processing what she said. After a long while of thinking, Sera finally spoke. "I believe you Elesa and I will help you get somewhere safe. This place..." She spoke with disgust in her voice, "is not a place for young women to live in."

"What about you Sera? What are you really here for?" The question seemed to surprise her since she jumped a little when she asked.

"How'd you know?"

Elesa shrugged her shoulders. "You just look like you don't want to be here and that it wasn't your choice to be here." Elesa had thought about the way she had spoken when she talked about the place they were inside of and it was obvious that she didn't want to be here. Sera's eyes filled with sadness and she slumped to the ground. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you."

"No that isn't it. You didn't hurt me it's just that... I've been here for so long now and I don't know when I'll be able to leave."

"Is there someone on the outside of this place that's looking for you?"

"Yes. My brother is on the outside. We've been keeping in contact but lately, I haven't gotten a message from him in a long while. I fear that he is in danger, but I dare not leave lest Zinzolin has me hunted down and returned to this place."

"Sera, what is this place and what does Zinzolin have to do with it?"

"Zinzolin... this place... both are evil." Sera got off of the floor and sat in a chair by the vanity in the room. "The Cloyster's Pearl is a brothel Elesa, a place where women sell their bodies for the men's pleasure. Zinzolin saw you and he no doubt wanted to put you in his personal harem for his own sick use." Elesa took a moment to let the information sink in. Zinzolin was just feigning his kindness just so that he could keep her as a pet? "I can see the effects this information is having on you, but it is the truth."

"Why is he doing this? Why don't the women here just leave? Like you said, this is place no one should have to stay in!"

"Why Zinzolin does this is because he is corrupt and evil! Why the women don't leave is because they've become slaves to the pleasure. You must understand that some are here by choice and some aren't." Elesa couldn't believe that any woman with even a shred of dignity would choose this existence. "The people of this land have suffered greatly Elesa. Where you come from, though you say it is horrible, is better than anywhere in this land to the people who have suffered. Some of the girls only needed a little bit of money, but Zinzolin kept them here against there will. He's practically turned them into slaves."

"What about you Sera?"

Her eyes flickered with disgust. "He has yet to lay a hand on me ands he doesn't let any of the men that come here touch me. He wants to conquer me like I'm some kind of beast, but now he has his eyes on you. I will do my best to keep you our of his and the other men's reach until my brother arrives, but if he doesn't come within three days... I fear that you may have to endure since my influence only spreads so far." Elesa's heart pulsed with fear. She wasn't going to let herself become someone's plaything.

"Sera, what do you do for Zinzolin?"

"I carry his messages and bring him refreshments when he is with his harem." Her voice shook with disgust. Having to service someone like Zinzolin would make anyone sick to the core.

"I think I have a plan for getting more time."

"You do?" Sera's eyes glinted with hope. It was risky, but she wasn't going to let Zinzolin touch her. Her plan was to give Zinzolin a false meeting so that he was gone for a few days. It was how she had gotten her parents out of the house before she left with Justin and Carlos. Those two... they had to be on their way to save her. There was no way that those two would leave her to fend for her self. They may have been thieves, but she trusted them and they haven't let her down yet.

"Sera, give Zinzolin a fake message from someone important. It could be anyone they just have to be important. Once he takes the bait, he'll be gone and that'll give us time to escape and meet up with your brother." Sera sat and was quietly muttering to herself, most likely working out how the plan would work.

"It just might work... I'll need to find out Zinzolin's schedule and then I'll see what I can do." There was some hope yet.

"Great! When we get out of here and find your brother, can we find my friends too?"

"If we get out of here... I will help you to the best of my ability."

"Who knows? Maybe Justin and Carlos are already with your brother?" Sera smiled. It looks like she hasn't for a long time.

"Maybe... Justin and Carlos... you speak quite fondly of them. I remember you saying that they helped you explore the city when your parents were gone." The memories of their little escapades through the city made her feel homesick.

"Yeah. Those two are trouble makers, but without them I don't know what I would've done in the city."

"Tell me how you met those two." She remembered it like it was yesterday.

"I met Carlos through Justin and he was the first person I ever made any kind of contact with in the city. I found him sitting on the sidewalk... he was so thin. I helped him and he promised that he would make it up to me."

"I'm assuming that this was through the trips through the city."

"Yeah, if it weren't for him I would be locked up in the house unless my parents took me out to the wealthier side of city. I still remember when he showed up at my window in the middle of the night. He scared me half to death." She sighed. Thinking about the time she spent wit those two ate away at her. "You know, he's saved me so many times whenever we went out into the city. He still thinks he owes me for that day, but in all honesty... it's me who owes him now."

"I can tell that you have strong feelings for him." She blushed.

"N-No that isn't it! It's just that he's too reckless by himself so I worry about him. Don't even get me started on how he is with Carlos!" Sera laughed. It was lovely sound. It was if her happiness was being spread into the air by the laughter. Elesa felt better after hearing it.

"I see. Well I'll talk to you later. I must go back before I am missed." Sera was a happy person on the inside, but she was trapped here. She was the very definition of a caged bird.

"Sera." She stopped halfway through the door. "What's your brother's name?" She turned her head and looked at her with those bright eyes.

"His name is Cy." When there were no more words between them, Sera left. Elesa remained on the bed. The cool air of the night came in through the window and chilled her face. Hopefully she would be free of this place soon before Zinzolin advanced on her. Her thoughts went back to Justin and Carlos.

"**Those two had better be safe, or I'll kill them myself!**" She thought about the note under the coaster she had left for Justin. She had never gotten the chance to tell him what it meant. "**We'll see each other soon...**" Her eyes closed and the pull of sleep dragged her under. She dreamed of a knight, but not like the one's she had seen on the road. This knight wasn't clad in armor or had a sword. This knight was dressed in all black. Despite his dark appearance, this was Elesa's savior, her guardian angel. He held out a hand and she gladly took it. That was her dream... it was about to come true until she came here to this strange new world. That night was supposed to be their last in that city...

**Chapter 7 is done guys and here it is! The Question of the Day! Drum roll please! **

**What did the note saying, "**_**Last Night!" **_**mean? **

**Leave a review and put your answer in it or send me a PM with it! Don't forget that the person with the best answer will have their response put up and will be given a shout-out! Rewards for the best answer are subject to change so make sure you read carefully! Anyways, send me a PM for OC info and vote on the poll to decide whether or not you like the Question of the Day! I'll see you guys on Tuesday!**

**-N-Black, Out**


	9. Chapter 8

**N-Black is back with a new chapter of Legacy and boy do I have plans for this story! Anyways the results of this week's poll are…**

**Question: Do You Like the Question of the Day? **

**It's 'aight: 2**

**And all the rest are ZERO! Well I'll continue on with this and see where it goes… As for the best answer, this semi-prestigious award is bestowed upon Arm-flailing-Carlos! Carlos has been with both stories from the start and is an invaluable reviewer and brainstorming partner! You're an amazing reader and I hope that you make a story of your own someday! Also be sure to check in at the beginning of the week to vote on the new poll! There will be a new poll every week so vote! Anyways… enough idle chatter… there is an adventure awaiting you…**

** Chapter 8: A Chance Meeting**

Lexie was exhausted. They had been traveling for two days with little to no rest. It didn't help that they got lost about a dozen times before an old farmer showed them the way to the city. The sight of the farmer was painful. The memories of seeing the barn on fire and Minako's mother being killed were still fresh in her mind. She had seen dead people in her work as a police officer, but she had never seen anyone die. It made her stomach turn just thinking about it. However, she was holding herself together, but the same couldn't be said for Minako. She was silent the entire trip, so silent that it seemed like she was never there. Lexie couldn't blame her for being that way. Seeing someone you love die is never easy…

Lexie's lamentations were interrupted by the bumpiness of the road. Every time her Rapidash would take a step, her thighs would chafe against the saddle. The Pokémon looked tired and so did Justin and Minako. Lexie had some experience with horse-back riding, but Justin didn't have any. After the adrenaline of their escape wore off, Justin had a hard time keeping on the saddle and the Rapidash wasn't making it any easier. It tried to buck him off numerous times when he pulled the reins too hard.

"Hey Justin?" The black-haired boy turned his head to reveal drooping eyes.

"Yes?" He sounded far off and his head bobbed up and down from the overwhelming exhaustion.

"We should stop and take a break." From what she could tell, he nodded, but it could've just been his head dropping again. They stopped at the edge of the dirt road and unsaddled. It felt reassuring to walk on the ground by herself, but the soreness in her inner thighs made her waddle more than walk. Before Justin could see her and crack an insult, she sat down and closed her eyes. She heard a thud and saw that Justin had fallen to the ground. "What's wrong with you?"

"My legs… feel like… jelly…" She couldn't help but smile at his misfortune. No riding experience and they had been traveling for two straight days meant that his thighs were probably rubbed raw. Minako attended to him and propped him up. She still didn't speak, but she worked quickly. How long would it take for her to come to terms with her parent's deaths? Days? Months? Years? Maybe she would never accept it as fact and live her life quietly and sullenly. Lexie wanted to help her, but if she tried to sympathize she would just bring up her own bad memories. For the time being, Minako checked Rapidash and Lexie basked in the warmth of the sun. A nice sunny day was rare in Black City thanks to the pollution, but in this world the sun always shined brilliantly. Just feeling the warmth of the sun made her feel better. She got up and much to her surprise, her tiredness and soreness were gone. It was if someone had changed her batteries.

It seems like the break was helping the Rapidash as well. After Minako had taken their saddles off and tied them to a nearby tree, they let their brilliant flaming manes flow free. They looked so majestic when they were like this. The Rapidash seemed to exude such strength and grace whenever they were cloaked in flame. Lexie looked ahead and saw the thin layer of the city's horizon. She looked farther and saw the blue expanse of the sea. So they were going to have to travel by boat… Lexie never liked boats. Every time she set foot on one, she would immediately feel queasy. The boat didn't have to move, she just had to be on it and that was it.

"**Come on Lexie, you can do this!"** They had taken a good break so they should get back on the road. She turned to tell Justin, but he was busy inspecting Daichi's sword. His eyes were focused on the blade and the burning manes of the Rapidash made the metallic surface shimmer. During their travels, he had told her about what had happened in the barn while she was knocked out when Minako was asleep. He may have been a criminal, but he had a heart. Having Minako up while he explained the details of her father's death wouldn't have been the wisest choice of action. During his story, Lexie felt burning hatred to see Wallace punished. The smug knight was the complete opposite of what she had expected him to be. These men weren't knights… they were barbarians.

Lexie's thoughts on the story were stopped by the sound of the rustling of the bushes ahead of them. Out of the brush came a tall guy with messy black hair who wore clothes that looked modern. He was picking thorns out of his rather fancy looking jacket and pulling twigs out his hair. A second guy jumped out of the tree above of him and landed with finesse of a cat. He looked like he was from this world, but his hair and eye color gave her doubts. The man was thin and tall, but not as tall as the other, he had dark green hair that covered his left eye and the exposed eye looked as red as ruby. Her eyes went back to the taller one and he looked vaguely familiar.

"Hey Cy, did we really have to go through the thick part of the forest? I have splinters in places where the sun don't shine." What a lovely mental image. The green haired man simply sighed and continued on without him. "I'm just sayin' man. You knew that there were thorns and bushes all over the place and you didn't tell me!"

"Carlos I warned you about them, but you took off ahead of me without listening!" Carlos? The name wasn't ringing any bells. Justin sheathed the sword and stood up.

"Carlos?" The tall boy turned around and a smile crossed his lips.

"Justin is that you?" The man named Cy turned his head sharply. His hands hovered over weapons that eerily resembled police officer billy clubs.

"You know this person?"

"Yes, that's the guy I've been looking for!" Cy looked as if he were going to ask more questions, but Carlos ran ahead and met up with Justin. He was starting to seem more familiar the longer he stood next to Justin.

"You're okay?" Carlos puffed out his chest with confidence and smiled.

"I can handle myself and you know that!" Justin looked him over from top to bottom and nodded.

"Same goofy grin. Check. Same messy hair that refuses to stay down. Check. Ego the size of a whale…" Carlos playfully pushed him and the two laughed. It was the kind of laugh that old friends shared. Cy walked over to them and coughed. Justin looked with confusion at the strange looking person.

"Who're you?" Cy was clearly agitated despite his attempt to hide it.

"My name is Cy and I presume that you're the person that Carlos was looking for?"

"You're right about that." Justin looked him over and Cy let out a sigh. It seemed like he was used to people looking at him strangely. "Carlos, are you sure we can trust him?"

Carlos shrugged. "I guess so. He's helped me out since I came to this place." He rolled his neck and placed his arms at the back of his head in a relaxed position. "That reminds me, where's Elesa?"

"That's the thing I was going to ask you!"

"You mean you don't know?" The two of them were worried about Elesa and the more that they speculated about what had happened to her, the more out of hand they'll be. Lexie stepped forward and cleared her throat to get all their attention.

"Look, I'm sure that's she's fine for the time being. Why don't we just focus on what we are here to do?" Carlos looked at her with astonishment in his eyes.

"W-Wait is that Lexie?!" She had remembered that same look. It was from an arrest a while back.

"Justin, what is she doing here?"

"I asked myself the same question. Before we came to this place, she was trying to arrest me, but I guess her and the cops saved my life from those Cartel clowns." Now Lexie recalled his face. He was the suspect of a bank robbery. It was a big heist and everyone thought it was pulled off by a professional, but turns out it was just a really lucky thief.

"I remember you now… you're Carlos Del Grove. I busted you for that bank robbery a few months back and by your relation to Justin… I'm guessing you haven't changed your life style." Carlos crossed his arms and shot her an accusing look.

"A man has to do what they got to do in order to survive… especially in a place like Black City!"

"Enough!" Cy shouted. His pale face was red from the frustration. "These pointless accusations are getting us nowhere!"

"Yeah Lexie…" Carlos whispered underneath his breath. Cy ignored him and continued speaking.

"I don't know about you three, but there isn't a moment to waste! If you want to find your friend you must not get sidetracked." The redness in his face drained and he appeared to be calm. "I suggest that we move on. I have wasted enough time as it is." Cy continued on ahead without them. He had a certain passion that drove him forward. He was looking for something, but she knew that he wouldn't trust the two of them with the information.

"What's his problem?" Justin asked. Carlos sighed. He knew more than he was letting on.

"I'll tell you on the way to the city." It seemed he finally noticed the Rapidash and Minako on the side of the road. Minako was watching nervously from behind the broad body of the Rapidash. "So you guys are riding those? I saw some of them when I first got here, but it was a little close for comfort."

"We should get moving before Cy gets too far ahead." Said Lexie. She wasn't planning on riding the Rapidash too soon because of her thighs so they walked, leading the flaming horses by the reins. Minako got closer to Justin. She was still silent, but Lexie could tell that she clung to him because of Daichi's last wish. Justin was in possession of her father's sword now so it only seemed right for her to go to him for protection and comfort. The thought of weapons brought a new thought to her mind. She still carried the pistols. They were stored safely in a pouch on the saddle and would no doubt come in handy later on.

She glanced at the two boys. They were engaged in conversation. Carlos's mouth was moving so fast that he stumbled over his words. She couldn't notice the awkwardness of how Justin held the sword. If he had to fight and his life depended on the sword, he would be dead before he could draw it. She pulled out one of the pistols and looked at them again. Could she trust them to not to become criminals in this world? The answer wasn't clear so she hid the gun in the pouch again. Until she was certain that she could trust the two of them, she wouldn't take any chances. It may seem cold-hearted but trust was hard to come by in Black City. If she were going to entrust them with a gun, she would need full confidence and faith in them so that nothing bad could happen. Bad memories flooded through her. The boy's chat ended and Justin broke the chain of painful memories she was relieving with a question.

"Lexie, what happened to leaving and traveling by yourself?" That was true. She had decided that she was going to leave with or without him, but with all the things that happened to them, she thought it best to stick together until they made it home.

"I… had a change of heart." The two of them raised eyebrows at her response.

"Really?" She gave them a confident smile.

"Of course! People can change can't they?" Justin scoffed and smiled at her answer. "What's so funny?" He looked at her with a smile, but his eyes held seriousness in them.

"People can change? You'd do well to remember that." He returned to his conversation with Carlos and left Lexie pondering about his statement. What did he mean by that? She brushed off the thoughts. It would do her no good to think about it right now. Lexie glance ahead and saw that Cy was still going forward. Whatever he was going to do he had his mind set on it. She still had trouble believing what she was doing. Here she was, traveling in an unknown world that contained Pokémon and her only company was a strange green haired person, a traumatized farm girl, and two criminals that she personally arrested. The whole thing felt like it was arranged by fate somehow…

**Hooray! Chapter eight is done! Justin, Lexie, and Minako have met up with Carlos and the mysterious Cy! What are Cy's intentions and will Lexie ever come to trust Carlos and Justin? Now for the Question of the Day!**

** If you were a Pokéball, what kind would you be and why?**

**Leave your answer in a review or PM me it! I'll see you guys on Saturday!**

**-N-Black, out**


	10. Chapter 9

**N-Black is back with a new chapter of Legacy for you and I must say that I've been coming up with a TON of ideas for the plot. The story has been growing over the past three weeks, but there still aren't many responses to the Question of the Day so that shall be postponed till there's more input. Now, let us continue our adventure in Unova…**

** Chapter 9: The Dancing Blade**

Justin was never show and tell kind of person. They had set foot in Virbank City and stopped by in a local tavern to eat and get to know each other better, especially in Cy's case. The green haired enigmatic traveler wasn't much of a talker, but he said what needed to be said. Carlos had explained how they met and he had survived the ballista bolt with not a scratch on his body. Cy told them that he and Carlos were Ginjika; humans with Pokémon abilities. The entire story seemed too hard to believe and Justin tried his hardest to convince himself that it was something different, but he was hard pressed to find any other explanation. All the noise in the tavern made it hard to concentrate.

Strewn across the place were off duty Plasma knights. They could be identified easily since they were the only people having a good time. Everyone else in the tavern was quiet and kept to themselves. Justin remembered the story Daichi told him about the massacre in the city. On their way to the city, they had passed the very river the old farmer told them about. He felt suddenly emotional and a great heaving feeling overtook him. The memory of Daichi AND Aina's last moments still rang deep in his memory and replayed the entire trip to the city. Daichi saved Justin by letting himself take the blow from the sword when he could have killed Wallace if he just let Justin die and Aina was killed in cold blood. Justin never understood why the two risked so much for him and Lexie, people the old couple had known for just a day.

His mind was troubled and he calmed himself by drinking his tea. The hot liquid was slightly bitter and Justin didn't particularly care for it, but it was all the place had at the moment. All the rest of the drinks were in the possession of the partying Plasmas. Seeing those monsters happy and abusing their power made him grip the cup tightly in frustration. There was a burning heat on his hand and he patted it. The clay tea cup he had was cracked from how hard he squeezed it. Before any of the others could notice his little mishap, he quickly wiped the tea on the linen trousers Daichi gave him.

Despite how quiet the rest of the tavern was, Justin's companions were by far the most silent. Lexie was spaced out. She had started to become quieter after he told her that she should remember that people can change. Lexie was stubborn. He had figured that out the first time she had arrested him, but luckily they didn't have enough evidence to lock him up. Carlos was lounging around in his wooden chair quietly sipping his tea and Minako, who still refused to speak, was sitting close to him, or more specifically, Daichi's sword. Justin didn't feel right wielding it, especially since Minako was so attached to it. Cy appeared to be in deep thought. He was looking intently at the Plasmas. Hate burned in his eyes like the sun.

"Cy?" He grunted in acknowledgment of Justin's question, "What are you really trying to do? I know you wouldn't help Carlos out of kindness alone." His red eyes were now focused on Justin and studying with curiosity. The stare was unnerving; it was if he could feel Cy telling him to stop pursuing the subject. Finally, Cy relaxed.

"You ask me why I do not tell you my true motives… it is because I cannot trust you." Everyone at the table looked at him suspiciously.

"Not even me?" Carlos said with surprise.

"I only trusted you with the information because you are like me… caution has saved my life many times before and I apologize for not trusting you, but there are reasons."

"Like what?" Justin said a little more forcefully than he intended. Cy must have felt his aggressive tone because when he answered, it was just as forceful.

"I can't tell you that!"

"How do you expect us to work together if you can't trust us? You've trusted Carlos with the information and he hasn't told us a drop of it!" Cy rose from his chair and bellowed,

"Do not raise your voice at me!" The whole tavern went quiet. Even the Plasmas were silent after Cy's words. The tavern keeper, a short old man, told them to take their business inside so it wouldn't upset the Plasmas. Once they were outside, Cy gathered his things and started to walk away from them.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Cy didn't look back at him when he asked him. "So you're just going to go out on your own and leave us behind?" He still didn't turn back. The next volley of words he was about to say escaped his mouth before he could think of the repercussions. "Whoever you're trying to find would be disappointed!" That made Cy freeze in his tracks. How Justin guessed that he was looking for somebody, he himself didn't know the answer at the moment. The only thing he did know was that it definitely struck a nerve in Cy. He turned and looked at Justin with eyes that betrayed no emotion.

"You really shouldn't have said that…" Lexie told him from behind. He gulped nervously.

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know." In an instant, Cy ran towards him and Justin barely had time to roll out of the way. Cy did not hesitate to keep going. Before Justin could get to one knee, Cy picked him up by the collar of his tunic and held him up at eye level.

"You would dare?" His voice was harsh. But there was something in his eyes that wasn't rage, it was sadness. Cy tossed him to the ground and Carlos tried to hold him back. "Stay out of this!"

"I'm not letting you do this! You may have saved me, but that doesn't mean that you can just attack my friends!" Cy's eyes went blank when he looked at Carlos.

"You… you told him about my sister…" Carlos backed away slowly.

"No…I-I didn't." Cy's arms went towards his weapons.

"How else would he know about it? You lied to me!" He pointed the tip of one of his weapons at Carlos to emphasize the point. "I guess that's what I deserve for letting my guard down."

"Stop it!" Justin yelled. He brushed the dirt off of his tunic and stared at the still hostile Cy. "You want to know the truth? I guessed that you were looking for someone." Cy turned his blades at him.

"There is no way that you could've known that."

"There are plenty reasons!" Justin paced back in forth. This whole situation was way out of hand now. "You have that look in your eyes you know? The kind of look that makes me think you're looking for something, but it wasn't an object." He paused to think of the next words carefully, trying to avoid another attack. As he paused, he started to piece together all of the things that made Justin think Cy was looking for someone. "I knew this because I'm looking for someone too. I can tell that you are. We share a common goal and I, no, _we_ will help you… but that's only if you can trust us." He quickly looked at Lexie to show her that he was talking to everyone.

There was an eerie silence that hung over them, but Cy didn't return his weapons to his side.

"You say that I should trust you people? I will give you a chance."

"Good, now can we-" Cy raised a hand to silence him.

"However, there is one condition… where I am going, there _will _be danger and if my life will depend on your combat skills… I need to know that we can keep each other alive." Tension pulled at Justin's muscles.

"What are you proposing then?"

"A sparring match. I want to see your combat skill first hand." Justin was about to protest, but Lexie beat him too it.

"Are you crazy? Justin has no experience with that weapon or with combat in general! Do you really expect him to be able to beat you?"

"This is my only offer. If he wishes to gain my trust he must _earn_ it in battle." Justin was going to speak again, but Lexie beat him to the punch again.

"I'll fight in his place then! I have sufficient experience with combat."

"No." Cy's short answer took everyone by surprise.

"Why not?" Lexie was beginning to show that stubborn side of herself again.

"Do not provoke me anymore than I already am. Justin wants my trust so he shall be the one to fight for it. Now, no more words!" The blades on his arms extended past his elbows and glinted in the city sun. There seemed to be no other option than for Justin to try his best and hope that Cy doesn't kill him. Carlos ran to him and put himself in the way.

"Carlos, move." He made no signs of moving anytime soon.

"No way. Cy may have helped me out, but if you fight him you're going to lose. Trust me…I've seen what he can do."

"Carlos… this whole match is about trust. If I don't go through with this… we'll never find Elesa without Cy's help. Besides… he has someone he's looking for too. It's that same goal that makes me want to do this, so please." Carlos slowly walked behind him with remorse. Now the only thing that stood in front of him was Cy with his weapons at the ready. Justin drew Daichi's sword and put himself into the best stance he could think of.

He squared his shoulder with his hips and held the sword out in front of him with two hands on the hilt. A bead of sweat dropped from his forehead and when it hit the dirt ground, Cy struck. The warrior's weapons were a flurry of flashing metal. The first attack hit his sword and made Justin stagger back. The second blade nearly struck his cheek. Cy was not giving Justin any kind of breathing room to recover or make a counterattack.

For his next rush of attacks, Cy ran low to the ground with his blades at his sides. Justin brought the blade of his sword down to block the incoming strikes. One, two, three blows collided with his blade until Cy used his leg to sweep Justin to the ground. The sudden fall disoriented him, but he managed to see the two blades ready to impale him from above. The steel weapons missed their mark by a fraction an inch. Cy pulled both of them out of the ground and resumed his assault.

Justin wasn't going to let himself get put in a corner again, but ironically, he was being pushed into a literal corner. The onslaught of the weapons forced him back to a wall. He had a plan to get out, but it may risk him his head. It was better than being at the mercy of a very pissed off warrior. Once Cy got close enough, Justin waited for the perfect moment to act. Cy's left arm was raise far above his head and that's when Justin made his move. Before Cy could drop his blade onto him, Justin dived past it and landed safely on the other side, leaving Cy with his back against a wall. The action made everyone, including Cy pause with surprise.

Justin wasted no time in going for his attack. He charged with his weapon ready to slash downwards. Cy saw the attack coming from a mile away however, because he blocked it before Justin was even halfway down with the swing. Cy kicked him away and the sword flew from his grasp. Justin landed with a dull thud and he could hear the sword skitter out of reach. Before Justin could even turn himself over to get the weapon, Cy's blade was at his neck. He stood above him in silent triumph. He looked one last time into Cy's eyes and looked down, resigned to his fate.

"Cy, don't do this!" Carlos called. Cy didn't hear him, his eyes were still on Justin.

"I'm not going to stand here and watch this!" Justin saw that Lexie pulled one of the guns that came with them to this world out of her robes. Minako ran forward right into the Lexie's line of fire.

"Lexie put the gun down!" Justin yelled. The cold steel at his throat threatened to cut him the more he talked. She held it up with a grimace on her face and dropped the gun. Minako pulled Cy's weapon away from Justin's neck with no resistance. She crouched by him and looked at Cy with tears in her eyes.

"P-Please… stop fighting…" Justin got back up with trepidation. Before Minako pulled him away, Cy looked like he was going to kill him right then and there. Justin realized that Minako broke the silence she had kept to herself for the past two days. She was breaking down right in front of him. Justin thought that Daichi's death affected him, but he never really considered the aftereffects it would have on her. Justin helped the still crying Minako up and stared daggers at Cy.

"Are you happy now?" Cy holstered his weapons and relaxed, the rush of adrenaline Justin felt during the battle was fading.

"You have shown me that you that you are true to your word. I shall accompany you." He turned and walked away. "Then maybe we'll all be safe." Justin led Minako back to Lexie and Carlos. She was still broken up about the fight earlier. He had to be careful around her. Minako's mental state of mind was still fragile and all the fighting that had happened wasn't helping her recover from the trauma of her parent's death. Justin picked the sword and wiped the dust from it.

He sheathed the weapon and delicately tied the tassel around the sword to his belt. If they had any chance of saving Elesa and Cy's sister, they had to trust one another and if they didn't… they would never go home…

**Tension in the ranks! How will the group be after this fight between Justin and Cy? Figure it out next Thursday when I update! **

** -N-Black, Out**


	11. Chapter 10

**N-Black is back with a new chapter of Legacy for all you readers out there! I'm still accepting those OC's you guys have so PM me for dat info! Let us continue on with our story shall we? **

**Chapter 10: A Harsh Reaity**

Justin was lost in thought as the group walked along to the docks. After Cy nearly killed him in their "duel", the green haired warrior shared his plan with the rest of them on how they were going to get to Castelia City and save Elesa. Justin knew that they would have to go by boat since the only other way through to the heart of Unova was traveling into the dense forests to the north. As they continued toward the docks, the smell of the ocean got stronger and stronger. The sound of waves splashing against rocks was in the distance and above them the cries of seagull like Pokemon rang in Justin's ears. Another sound got his attention however. There was loud clanging and the sound of rocks tumbling down. Several Plasma Knights were marching into the direction of the sound.

"Cy, what's going on over there?"

"Nothing. It's best if you don't go snooping around." Cy's voice carried finality and Justin could feel his temper rising. He was still mad at Cy's lack of trust and felt the only way for him to protest against the warrior without getting into another fight was to do the exact opposite of what he was told to do. There was obviously something going on over there and he was going to find out what. Justin broke away from the group without them noticing and carefully tailed the knights. As he followed them, the ringing sound increased in volume. It was the sound of metal striking rock. The knights arrived at a barricaded area and Justin crept behind a rock to avoid detection. There was chatter amongst the knight, but it was indistinguishable with all the clanging going on.

The armor of the knights clanked and creaked as they walked into the enclosed area. He took a quick check of the area and once he decided it was safe, he sneaked over to the wooden barricade and saw what was making the sounds. There were dozens of people in chains with pickaxes, striking the rocky area. Dirt stained their ragged clothes and they all looked like they hadn't eaten in weeks. One man dropped his pickaxe and fell to the ground and the knights were on him instantly. They walked over to him and kicked at the thin man with their armored boots.

None of the other people looked at what was going on. It was if the man didn't exist. Justin spotted another group of knights walking over to a woman who also fell to he ground, no doubt because of exhaustion. Even through the sounds of the pickaxes striking the rock, he could hear the laughter of the knights. They picked up the woman and carried her off. She made no attempt fight back or even scream. By the smiles on the knights' faces, Justin could guess what they had in mind for the woman.

The man who collapsed previously was still being kicked. The Plasmas seemed to lose their interest and left the man alone. His face was bloodied and several cuts marked his dirty face. The man's eyes were empty and his body was still. A sick feeling ran through Justin, the same feeling he got when he remembered Daichi's death. He felt tears form in the corners of his eyes and no matter how hard he tried to stop them, they would just keep coming. A hand touched his shoulder and he quickly turned around. Cy was behind him and the stern look his face usually held was replaced by concern. Justin relaxed and Cy helped him up.

"I told you there was nothing here." Cy led him back out of the pathway and to the rest of their group. Lexie went up to him, fire in her eyes.

"What the hell were you thinking? Leaving without telling us... you could've gotten killed!" Her intensity died down when she saw his puffy eyes. "W-What happened?"

"Cy," Justin said. "What was that place?" Cy straightened his robes and sighed deeply.

"That... is the future site for the Virbank Complex."

"Virbank Complex?" Carlos asked.

"It is the Plasma Crusade's plan for turning Virbank City into an industrial powerhouse. They didn't want to spare any of their workers to work the land so..." He passed a glance to the area they were in previously. "They use the people of the city since it's their... "Civic Duty" to help the king, but it's all lies. They're using the people of Virbank because they still haven't been forgiven for the raid of the food last winter. Even after they massacred half the city's population, it still wasn't enough. They had to forcefully drag people from their homes and keep them prisoners at the site. Haven't you noticed how many people you've met?"

Justin took a moment to think about it and Cy was right. The entire time they walked through the city, Justin only saw Plasmas. How many people were still free of the Plasmas?

"This is the harsh reality of this world and you best take in what you saw Justin because it only gets worse when we go to Castelia City." Justin couldn't believe it.

"Worse? How could any of this get any worse?" Justin clutched his hair and the sight of the man lying motionless in the middle of the complex flashed into his mind.

"You want to save your friend don't you? Then you must learn of the horrors that N has inflicted upon us!" Emotion swelled in Cy as he spoke. "You have asked me to trust you, now I ask you to trust in me when I say that it gets worse."

Justin's breathing was getting out of control and he started to wheeze. Carlos came over to him and helped him up. He felt dizzy and his lugs felt constricted.

"Cy you're not helping!" Carlos was doing his best to support Justin's dead weight, but he shifted as Justin started to go limp.

"I cannot sugar coat what happen in this world Carlos! I told him not to go snooping around, but he did it anyways. He saw the truth and its better now than later when his life may depend on his understanding of how this world is! You aren't safe here, NO ONE IS!" Now even Cy seemed to be losing it.

"Would both of you just stop?!" Lexie intervened between the two of them. "I'll tell you what's true right now... what's true is that your bickering is getting us nowhere!" She turned her head to Cy. "Come clean."

"What?"

"I said come clean! Tell us who you really are, what you're really up to. Justin wants you trust us, but if you don't tell us what you're really up to, then this whole mission we set up is doomed to failure!" Cy straightened his posture and the old confidence he had was returning.

"You are not from this world... you know nothing!"

"Do you see yourself right now?" Lexie smiled with incredulity. "Are you blind to what's happening right now? Why can't you swallow your ridiculous pride and tell us who you really are?"

"I-I can't... I just can't." Cy's voice shook, Whether with anger or sadness, Justin could not discern it. Lexie chuckled lightly.

"Why?" She said calmly. "Cause you can't "trust" us?" She pointed to Minako and sighed. "That girl there lost her parents two nights ago. You promised us that we could find safety if we came with you. We want to help you find whoever you're looking for and we want you to help us find who we are looking for, but if we're at each other's throats the entire time, we'll never succeed." Lexie walked back to the side and silence hung around them. Justin recovered from his panic attack and sat down on the floor.

"Cy..." Carlos had a pleading look in his eyes. "This is for your sister man... please." After much silence, Cy closed his eye and grunted.

"Very well... I shall tell you what I know." Lexie smiled with relief. "Carlos knows a few of the pieces I am about to tell you, but I have safeguarded the rest." Cy looked up at the sky, possibly thinking of what to say. "I will start at the beginning. I am not an only child as you may know by now. I have a twin sister by the name of Sera. We grew up together, always looking out for each other. We were inseparable until that night three years ago..."

"What happened?" Justin asked with nervousness.

"That was the night the Crusade attacked my village and killed our parents. The wails of the innocent rang out in the night and the laughter of the knights echoed in the valley. Our parents hid us underground because of our powers. They knew that the Plasmas would come after us first if they saw us. I did what I could for Sera, but her powers... they were undeveloped and out of her control. She has the ability to feel emotions and is usually in control of it, but the horror she saw that night made them unstable. She felt all the pain of the people being slaughtered above ground and there was nothing that I could do. I was so helpless... I felt so weak!" He stopped abruptly. Cy's face was contorted in a grimace.

"I found no comfort that night. When the first rays of the new day appeared, Sera and I emerged from our haven and saw what remained of our home. The homes were but ash and the fields were blackened. Corpses littered the ground, but we could find no trace of our mother and father. The Plasmas left nothing for us so we left. Long we traveled and the countless miles seemed to last eternity as we kept going. Even after all that we went through, we still remained together. We just kept going and going until we collapsed somewhere in the middle of the road. I thought that we were dead for sure, but that's when they found us."

"They?" Lexie asked curiously.

"Oh I know!" Carlos exclaimed excitedly. "The resistance!"

"Precisely." A resistance was in Unova? It made sense since most instances when the people were oppressed, it led to an uprising. "They found us on one of their patrols of the area and took us in, nursed us back to health. They saved me and my sister's lives that day and I've sworn my loyalty to them ever since. That's how I became a warrior. They taught me how to use my powers and how to defend myself. They helped my sister regain control over her abilities and soon, we were on missions to stop the tyrant N."

"So you mean this resistance is where you were going to take us?"

"It is the safest place I know of. There you would be able to live peacefully and away from the terrors of the world."

"Wait," Said Justin. Something wasn't right. "What happened to your sister that's making you go to find her?" Cy 's eyes became filled with worry.

"She was sent on a mission to infiltrate the facility of one of the Seven Sages, N's advisors, and gather information on the activities of the troops in the area. "We kept contact through telepathy, but I haven't been able to contact her in a long time... I was sent to rescue her."

"Where exactly is she?" Lexie asked.

"The Cloyster's Pearl, a brothel in Castelia City. Sera was hired by the Sage with a fake identity and serves as his assistant and from what she told me in her past messages, she still remained untouched by any of the "suitors" in that filthy place, but her silence troubles me." There was another wave of silence as Cy finished talking. "That is everything I have to tell you, now will you still help me? I can understand if you do not wish to accompany me any longer." Justin was the first one to answer.

"Are you kidding me? Of course we'll help you!" Cy stepped back in shock.

"Y-You will?"

"Of course man!" Carlos walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "After all, I still owe you for saving my life and all that jazz."

"Jazz?" He asked with confusion.

"Whoops! Forgot you don't have that here." Lexie laughed and walked between them all.

"Alright, we stopped bickering, but that doesn't mean we can stand around and talk! Let's move!" There were nods of agreement and the group continued forward. As they got closer to the ocean, Justin noticed that Lexie looked nervous.

"You okay?"

"Y-Yeah... Of course I am." Justin looked at her questioningly out of the corner of his eye, but dropped the subject. He may have gotten punched if he kept pushing the issue. Justin slowed down and walked side-by-side with Minako who was leading the Rapidash. She had been deathly quiet the entire time and Justin felt relegated to make sure she was okay.

"Minako?" There was no response from her. "Minako?" He said a little louder. This time she turned her head slightly to look at him. "I know that you're still trying to cope with your parents, but I'm here to help you. Anything you need, you just ask me all right?" She still didn't answer him and he let the topic rest. Soon the sea was in view and the group waited for Cy to return with tickets to board the boat to Castelia City. Justin sat in the shade observing the sheath of Daichi's sword. It wasn't fancy, but it did what it had to do. The sheath kind of personified Daichi in a way. He and the sheath were simple, but they worked well. Justin remembered the promise he made to the farmer to keep Minako safe and so far he sucked at it. She wouldn't talk to him so it made it rather difficult to know what her problems were.

Losing her parents truly affected her greatly and if he couldn't help her, she would never get over it. As he thought about her, he looked to where she was standing on the dock next to the large wooden boat. She was looking into the sea and the wind blew her silky brunette hair back and riffled her kimono. She was so delicate compared to Elesa. The blonde was easily one of the strongest willed people he knew. He had to find her... and he had to help Minako. He thought about going up and talking to her again, but something made him not want to try.

"**It wouldn't hurt to try."** Justin rose and walked over to where Minako was standing and looked out to the vast expanse of the sea. The rolling waves roared as they crashed "Minako... please talk to me. I promised your father that I would protect you, but if I don't know what you're feeling, I can't help." She still looked out to the sea and did not answer. Justin turned and sighed. It was going to take a long time before she talked to him again.

"You are so kind..." He stopped when he heard her soft voice. He hadn't heard it in so long he forgot what it sounded like. "You promised to protect me, even though you hardly knew me."

"Anyone would... right?" She shook her head and walked towards him.

"Not anyone. _You_ made that promise for my father, no one else did."

"That wasn't what I meant but-" She did something very unexpected and hugged him. "Minako?"

"My father and mother are gone now, but they trusted you to guard my life. I'm sorry I haven't spoke, but their loss is something that will pain me forever. Nothing can change that, however..."

"However what?" He was a little worried that the others would see her hugging him and get the wrong idea in their head.

"However I have you to watch over me now. You are so concerned about my well-being... I don't know how to thank you." He gently wriggled out of the hug and backed up a step.

"You don't have to thank me. I'm just fulfilling a promise and don't worry... we'll be safe soon." She smiled and bowed.

"Thank you. Oh look!" She pointed behind him and when Justin turned he saw Cy and the others coming towards them.

"I have the tickets and the boat has a place where we can put the Rapidash." Justin noticed that Lexie looked green now, but she shot him a glance that told him to back off.

"Your master looks quite sick." Minako's statement confused Justin then he soon remembered that she didn't know that Justin wasn't a servant.

"Yeah Minako... about that..." He explained the truth to her as they got onto the boat. Once he was on the deck of the boat he inhaled the sea air. The brine tickled the insides of his nose. "**We're coming for you... Elesa."**

**That's another chapter down and for those of you who are waiting for the action, don't worry, there will be some kick ass fight scenes soon! Thanks for reading and review the story so that others can see it! **

**-N-Black, Out**


	12. Chapter 11

**N-Black is back with a new chapter of Legacy and if you've been keeping up with the Pokémon X and Y news, it looks to be the BEST Pokémon game EVER! Not to mention the new Super Smash Bros. coming in 2014. I'm super excited for these games to come out, but you guys aren't here for video game news, you're here for the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 11: A Bump in the Road**

Elesa was keeping busy in her room by constantly trying to find the perfect way out. It's been about three days since Sera delivered the phony message to Zinzolin and there was still no way out. No matter what time of day, there were guards around watching the place like searchlights. As a matter of fact, security seemed even tighter than before Zinzolin left. For three days, she had nothing to do but eat, sleep, and talk with Sera. She would only use the bathhouse during the middle of the night as to avoid an incident with a frisky guard. Sera had warned her about that and so far she hadn't run into trouble.

She was fresh out of the shower and was still devising plans. She put on a black silk robe that had patterns of yellow flower petals falling down. Even though she was a prisoner here, she still wanted to look fashionable. Her talks with Sera during the nights became longer and longer. She had no one else to vent her feelings to since Justin and Carlos weren't here with her. If those two took any longer, she would skin them when they arrived. Sera told her that Zinzolin was on his way back from the phony meeting and now they were really crunched for time.

She said that he would be back in by tomorrow morning so that left them tonight to leave without being noticed by Zinzolin. Elesa figured that their only chance was to just climb out from her window in a classic escape. Sera told her to be patient and that her brother was on his way with help. Elesa's hopes rose when she said help. Hopefully her two bonehead friends would be coming for her soon. With nothing but anxiety stirring her up, she lied in her bed and drifted off into sleep…

The sounds of the bird Pokémon Pidgey woke her up. Just like regular pigeons, they were annoying. It was early in the morning still when Sera burst into her room, a frantic look on her face.

"Hurry, you must get up and get dressed!" Sera tossed a set of robes to Elesa and began to straighten her room. Elesa was still groggy and her vision was blurry, but she managed to pull the new robes on. Like Sera's usual dress, it was a pure white.

"W-Why? What's happening?" She rubbed her eyes and Sera checked the hallway and whispered to her softly,

"Zinzolin is back and he's angry. He demanded that all the girls are brought down from their rooms." She looked out again and Elesa could hear Zinzolin yelling downstairs. Sera cringed at the yelling and turned back to Elesa, "I must go and wake up the rest of the girls before he gets truly mad." Sera closed her door and left Elesa in a rush to get ready. After she sorted her bed head out, she quickly went down the steps to stand in line with the other twenty or so girls in the brothel.

Zinzolin's pale face was red with anger and he was pacing back and forth with his head down in thought. Sera came down shortly after Elesa did. Her silky mint green hair was out of place and she still had the frantic look in her red eyes. Zinzolin stopped his pacing and looked the girls over with a scowl etched on his face.

"So… who thought it was funny to send me a fake message to go into Nimbasa to meet with the city's leader?" he waited for a response but there was none. Elesa looked around and saw Zinzolin's usual guards stationed all around them. "So no one wants to answer me?" Zinzolin was livid now; he looked like he was going to explode. "Very well then!" He bellowed harshly, "I see how it's going to be. I take you in and this is how you thank me? I give you pleasure every day from the wealthy men of the city and still you treat me this way?" He snapped his fingers and Sera walked reluctantly over to Zinzolin's side.

"This girl has been my attendant and your friend for a long time now." He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to him. Elesa could see the struggle in her eyes, but she knew that Sera wasn't going to lash out against him. Zinzolin chuckled softly and grabbed Sera's cheeks with his free hand and looked her in the eye. "How sad would it be to see her go away forever right in front of your eyes?" He released her head and pulled from his belt a curved knife and held it against her cheek. The girls gasped and Elesa's pulse quickened with fear. Sera whimpered, her eyes looking at the blade. Elesa took a step forward to run out and save her new found friend, but something held her back.

"_Don't do it Elesa!_" Sera's voice rang in her head and she stopped moving. "_He won't kill me… not yet._" Elesa kept watching on and Zinzolin grinned. He made a thin cut on her cheek and threw her to the ground. "For now she lives, but if no one comes clean in the next day…" He pointed the knife at Sera for emphasis, "She dies, and then I'll move to the rest of you." Silent horror struck the other girls and Elesa watched in agony at the sight of how vulnerable Sera was. Sera was, to Elesa, her anchor in the brothel. Without her to support her, Elesa wouldn't have lasted half as long as she already had. "Now then why don't we-" A knock at the front door interrupted Zinzolin and his anger was rising again. "Grr… Who is it?"

A guard went to the door and opened it partially. "Tell them that they aren't welcome here who ever they are!" The guard opened the door a little wider and bowed deeply to the person outside. The doors were opened fully and the bright light of the morning sun poured in. From the doorway came a man with long brown hair in a ponytail that looked reminiscent of the samurai warlords Justin had shown her in one of the books he had found. He had a regal demeanor about him and his clothing exemplified that. He had golden brown formal robes of a samurai that were normally worn during meetings with government officials. It wasn't too overpowering, but it showed his status an important person. A thin mustache was on his face as well as a small pointed beard. The man had a confident smile and his hands were tucked together in the sleeves of his robe.

Zinzolin must've realized who he was talking to and instantly changed his tone to friendliness. The stout man walked over to the new man and gave a quick bow. "Master Kaneko! This is quite the unexpected visit!" The man named Kaneko bowed as well, but with far more grace than Zinzolin.

"Do you shout and yell at all the guests that come here to enjoy themselves Sage Zinzolin?"

"Oh, of course not… it's just that I have had a stressful morning dealing with the girls. You see, one of them gave me a phony message telling me to go to Nimbasa City and meet with the city's council. Once I discovered the message to be a fraud I came back here and started to deal with them properly." Kaneko looked at Sera who was now standing and holding the cheek she was cut on.

"I see… well business will be business I suppose." Elesa started to feel dislike for Kaneko when he said that. Was guy in this world insensitive and full of lust?

"If I may ask Master Kaneko, why are you here so early in the morning? It's a little early for some action." The two men laughed and Elesa felt like throwing up. She thought that the guys in her time were bad, but boy was she wrong.

"That is not the entire reason I'm here Sage Zinzolin. I came to scout out the girls since I will be visiting the Pearl later on." Zinzolin chuckled at Kaneko's words.

"Ah I see… your wife is out of town again?"

"No she's home. I told her that I'm going to attend a gathering at the Suzaku's. She believed it of course, gullible dolt she is." Elesa's dislike for Kaneko was right on par with Zinzolin now. Not only was he insensitive, he was a cheating pervert who insulted his own wife.

"Clever Master Kaneko, very clever. Now you said that you wanted to look at the girls?"

"Yes, but there is actually something important I need to tell you about."

"Oh that can wait till later, besides, all the girls are out right now, so please make your choice! Anyone you wish!" Zinzolin pursued on his offer and finally Kaneko gave in. The man walked around studying each girl carefully. He felt their hair, their skin, and looked at the rest of their bodies as well as if he were trying to find the perfect girl. He was getting closer to Elesa and she gulped nervously. She couldn't strike out against him otherwise she may end up in a worse state than Sera. Kaneko stopped in front of her and eyed her dubiously.

"Sage Zinzolin… this one seems quite young to be in a brothel."

"Oh, I found her in the place three nights ago. She isn't technically a worker here so you can't pick her." Kaneko raised an eyebrow and ran a hand down her short blonde hair. Every muscle in her body tensed at his touch.

"If I may correct you on that Zinzolin, you said that I can have _any_ girl I want." Zinzolin looked around at his guards for support, but they didn't have anything to argue with.

"Yes I understand that, but-" Kaneko raised a hand to silence him.

"Are you telling me…" Kaneko approached the older man slowly and calmly, but Elesa could feel the menace in his tone, "That you aren't going to let me have her? You're going to go back on a promise you made to Akihro Kaneko, the liege lord of Castelia City?" Kaneko's face filled with anger, but Zinzolin held his ground.

"Is that a threat Akihiro? You're threatening _me_? A member of the Seven Sages?" Zinzolin's guards put their hands around their weapons and Zinzolin sneered wickedly. "Do not forget that the only reason you are still in power is because of the kindness of our king." The last few words made Kaneko cringe. The man obviously didn't like being put under anyone's thumb.

"I understand your position as one of the king's advisors, but you shouldn't go back on your promises Zinzolin. Now why don't we negotiate?" Kaneko said calmly. He appeared to have a plan. Zinzolin smoothed his robes and looked at Kaneko with interest.

"What do you want to negotiate?" Kaneko pointed to Elesa and smiled confidently.

"My information that I'm going to give you for her." Zinzolin's face turned red again and before he could say anything, Kaneko continued, "Do not decline just yet… the information holds interest to the welfare of your city." Zinzolin simmered down and looked at Kaneko with incredulity.

"You're going to withhold that kind of information from me? You serve the king! It is your duty to report anything that may harm the king's lands immediately to me!"

"I can and I will do so… for her." Kaneko stood tall and Elesa could tell that Zinzolin was having it out in his head. Would he do what was best for the city or would he selfishly decline for pleasure Elesa was going to make sure he wasn't going to receive? Zinzolin exhaled deeply with a dirty look on his face.

"Very well then Akihiro… you may have her tonight in exchange for the information." Kaneko clapped his hands together and smiled widely.

"An excellent decision Sage Zinzolin! You always put the people first! Now about the information…"

"Ah, let me clear out the girls and then we can talk in the conference hall" Zinzolin clapped his hands and the girls began to walk back to their rooms. Elesa went to Sera to help her sterilize the cut. The two of them went into Elesa's room and shut the door.

"That maniac!" Elesa said with fury upon looking at Sera's cut, "Why would he do that to you?" Elesa got a piece of cloth and dabbed at the wound gently. It wasn't life threatening in the least, but if it got infected, Sera would be in bad shape.

"To set an example." Sera said firmly. Her eyes were wet with new formed tears. Elesa tore the cloth gave the cloth to Sera so she could try and find something to work as antiseptic. There was nothing in the room that was remotely medical in nature. Sera held the cloth to her cut and looked at the ground with resignation in her eyes. "He is going to kill me to make sure no one dares try something like that again."

"How could he do that?!" Elesa said, tears forming in her eyes now, "You've helped him all this time and he's going to kill you to teach the rest of us a lesson? What is wrong with this world?!" Elesa felt herself beginning to break down, but she wasn't going to let it happen in front of Sera. Sera kept her safe for the past three days and despite the short amount of time they had known each other, she felt like she was her sister now and family helped family when they were at their worst. "I-I'm confessing to Zinzolin."

"W-What!?" Sera's red eyes widened in horror at her statement, "You cannot do that! He'll kill you!"

"Better you than me! At least you know that your brother is coming for you…" Sera rose up with fury now and tuned Elesa around before she could weak out of the door.

"Don't tell me that you've lost faith in your friends!" Sera shook Elesa by the shoulders, her red eyes the picture of grave seriousness.

"Well… I haven't gotten any word from them and…"

"That is not a reason why you should give up on them. You told me yourself that they were the reason you could explore the city! How would they feel if you just through yourself away like this? Haven't you thought about what that sacrifice you would make would do the people you care about?" Elesa let the emotion in her words settle in deeply. With every word she said, it was like Elesa could feel Sera's pain. Sera released her hold on Elesa and slumped on the bed. "You gave me a ray of hope I could cling on to. When you told me your friends were here with you, I could feel the sureness in your voice that they were going to come. I almost gave up on Cy before you came here, but you changed that when you arrived."

"You're serious about that?"

"I would never joke about such matters Elesa. Cy… he is the only family I have left and if he abandons me… then I have nothing left to live for…" Sera sat in silence and left Elesa to think about her choices. Was it selfish of her to make such a drastic choice without telling her friends first? What would they think of her when she was dead? Would Justin and Carlos never forgive her for it? Elesa steeled herself and made her decision. She wasn't going to do it, no matter how horrible it would be to see Sera leave her.

"Sera… aren't you afraid of dying?"

"I am I will not lie to you. However, I don't fear the actual death that awaits me tomorrow… I fear what it will do to my brother. If he ever found me dead… Arceus save the poor souls that are in his path for his fury will be unmatched by no one, not even the king and his army." Elesa knew that Sera and Cy shared a close bond with each other, but she had no idea how important they were to each other.

"I think I understand now. I'm going to go get you something to take care of your cut Sera… I'll be back soon." Elesa left Sera to herself and sneaked over to the supply room to grab something to help her with treating the cut. She would have to pass the conference room which Zinzolin and Kaneko were in to get into the medical supplies.

The floorboards creaked as she stepped slowly. She was only halfway to the supplies, but she had already made enough noise to wake the entire place up. She decided to fast walk through the hall and prayed for the best. She made it into the room and waited to see if the noise she made attracted unwanted attention and after a few seconds, she figured she was clear to go. Elesa scanned the shelves and found some gauze and a bottle of what appeared to be antiseptic. She grabbed the items and crept back outside. Before she could take another step, she heard Zinzolin's voice rise from within the room.

"What? Do you mean that they failed?"

"Not entirely," Kaneko's smooth voice said, "They managed to kill the mother and father in the process."

"I don't care about them! I care about the girl Kaneko! Do they know if she is unharmed?"

"The knights in Virbank told me that they saw someone who resembled her and she was with four others, two of whom matched Wallace's report." The sound of a fist hitting a table could be heard through the door.

"Damn Wallace! That fool can't even keep the most docile of the Unova people from causing trouble!"

"That's just the thing Sage Zinzolin… these people she's traveling with… Wallace thinks that they're not from here."

"What difference does it make Kaneko?"

"Wallace believes that they're spies from one either Hoenn or Sinnoh." Kaneko's voice dropped low so Elesa had to put her ear to the door to hear what he was saying, "If they are in Unova and if we don't do anything, they will find a way to the king, this I can assure you." There was a drawn out silence before Zinzolin started to speak.

"These four others… did you receive any kind of details about their appearances?"

"Yes I did actually. While they're names are unknown to us, we do have some accurate physical descriptions." There was a rustle of papers and the sound of Kaneko clearing his throat. "There are three males and one female accompanying your target. The female has reddish-brown hair that goes to her shoulder blades and she has hazel eyes. The first of the males is tall with messy, unkempt black hair with dark brown eyes." That sounded like Carlos! Maybe… "The next of the males has very distinguishable features. He is thin and just a little shorter than the previous male, he has dark green hair and red eyes, much like your attendant actually." That had to be Cy! "The last male is average height with black hair and… dark skin."

Elesa felt her heart skip a beat. They were okay and they were with Cy. Elesa didn't know who the two other girls were, but she couldn't care less. Her friends and Sera's sister were safe! The conversation was still going and Elesa put her ear to the door once again to get the rest of the details.

"Well… this is certainly important! Now I know that the girl is safe and I can now safely defend the brothel from these potential spies."

"Are you sure that they will be completely boxed out of the brothel Sage Zinzolin?"

"Of course I am! This place might as well be a palace!"

"Hm… be careful Sage Zinzolin. This place may be well fortified, but it is open to the public and like an open wound, the infection that is those spies may find a way inside."

"Do not worry about me Kaneko. I will be fine no matter what happens. Now you are a busy man, so please go about your day and I will see you tonight." The sound of Kaneko getting out of his chair made Elesa jump and drop her supplies on the ground as she went to retrieve them, the sound of Kaneko's footsteps got louder. She just managed to get to her feet when the door opened.

"Ah, tonight's treat!" Elesa held in her scowl and forced a smile on her face despite the hate she held for the man. "What are you doing out here? Couldn't wait for tonight perhaps?" He was cricling her like a shark.

"Oh no, I was actually-"

"My you have such a cute voice. You'll need to save it for later on when you're with me, so do not speak." He ran a finger down her spine and she shivered in discomfort at his touch. "I assume that you are as excited as I am?"

"Oh, yes! Definitely Master Kaneko!" She lied of course.

"Excellent." A wry smirk unfolded on his lips and he stare lustfully at her. "Farewell for now." He walked past her and didn't even notice the supplies she was holding. Once he was out of sight, she made her way back to her room to tend to Sera. Elesa was jubilant at the fact that her friends were on their way to get her out of this hellhole. The only bump in the road was that she had no idea where they were or how long it would take them to reach her and Sera. If they didn't come tonight… she would have to defend herself. She wasn't much of a religious person, but she closed her eyes and said a prayer to Arceus, who was the apparent God of this world.

"**Uh, Arceus? I don't know if you know who I am, but I'm asking for your help. Please, please protect my friends. Especially Sera… I want to see her and Cy return to each other and I think it's selfish to say a prayer for yourself, but please protect me as well if my friends can't be here by tonight… I don't want to have to endure what that man Kaneko has in store for me… please.**" She opened her eyes and kept going, feeling foolish about her prayer. She should know better than to pray to a false deity. Her vision blurred for a second and a strange feeling filled her head… it was like when she first blacked out in the tower in her world. She was expecting to faint again, but instead, she just heard the voices.

"_Do not worry child… all will be revealed in time…_" The feeling left as quickly as it came and left Elesa confused. She wanted to know who was talking to her and she got the morbid feeling her message was answered by someone or something. Shaking off the rather cryptic message, she continued to walk back to her room and give Sera the good news…

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**That chapter is done so tell me what you guys think about it in the reviews and share the story with others! The next update will be on Tuesday so I'll see you guys then!**

**-N-Black, Out**


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Carlos's New Plan**

They arrived in Castelia City in about half a day. The sun was setting over the smokestacks of the city and numerous knights could be seen walking the streets along with citizens. Carlos was busy taking in the sights while they walked to find a rest location. They had to come up with a plan to infiltrate the brothel and rescue Elesa and Cy's sister, Sera. The plumes of smoke around the city as well as all the people walking around reminded Carlos of Black City. Sure there weren't any skyscrapers like the Castelia in their world, but it was certainly the same feel.

There were various stalls all selling their respective goods. There were produce stands, food carts, bits and baubles, and more random merchandise Carlos couldn't recognize. As they were walking, one of the vendors, a smelly old man, offered Carlos a jacket that was apparently made of leather, but was so old it probably felt like a rock. Carlos was happy with the tunic Cy gave him and he already had a perfectly good jacket with him. Carlos sniffed the air and picked up the scent of very tasty food. It looked like everyone else smelt it too since they had their noses up.

"Geez, that smells good…" Justin said dreamily.

"Like a homemade meal!" Lexie added.

"It's coming from there." Cy pointed over to the right and sure enough, there was a line of hungry looking people in front of a food stand. "Why don't we get something to eat? We can find somewhere safe to talk later." There were no objections and they rushed over to get a spot in the line before it got too massive. They were in line and the smell got stronger. Carlos took a big whiff and felt his stomach growl in response. The line was moving fast however and for that, Carlos was grateful. As the line progressed, Carlos saw a sign by the stand, but couldn't read what it said. It was in a different language that Carlos didn't recognize.

"Cy, what does that say?" Cy peeked from the line and stared at the sign. He pulled his head back in and smiled.

"We're in luck! This is a famous takoyaki stand!" Minako clapped her hands together and smiled.

"Really? I've always wanted to try takoyaki, but I was never able to get into the city."

"That's good! This is one of the best stands in the city, possibly in all of Unova!" The two native people laughed, but Carlos, Lexie, and Justin were left confused. Cy and Minako stopped their little celebration and stared at the three of them. "What is wrong? Don't you like takoyaki?"

"A tako-what now?" Carlos said. He was hungry, that was a fact, but if the food here was as strange as what was going on in the world, than he would have to pass on tako-yo-hoo-haws.

"I forget," Cy said, "You most likely do not have these where you're from." They were almost to the front of the line now and the front of the stand was visible. There was a man behind the stall who was busy pouring batter into a pan. They were up next and Carlos saw what the tako-yohoos looked like. They were almost like donut holes but they smelled much more like real food. The pan had little half circle holes in it where the batter was being fried.

"Welcome to Castelia's best takoyaki stand, where the food is made by both human and Pokemon!" A small red Pokémon hopped out from underneath the stall and Carlos guessed that this was the heat source. "Darumaka and I will be happy to cook so what can I get for you my friends?" The cook had a sweat rag tied around his head, an apron covering his body, and his middle aged face was wavering in the heat of the pan in front of him.

"Five of your best takoyaki boats." Cy pulled several old-fashioned coins that had holes in the middle of them and handed them to the cook. The cook counted the payment and put the money in a pouch in his apron and smiled.

"Five of the best, coming right up!" They took a seat on the ground and in no time at all, the chef finished their orders and after Cy passed them out, each of them now held in their hands, a row of ten fried golden-brown morsels covered in what looked like mayonnaise sitting in a tissue covered basket. Cy handed each of them chopsticks and everyone but Justin and Carlos were having an easy time. Cy saw them struggle and chuckled.

"Not… funny… Cy," Justin said as he struggled to keep a good grasp on his sticks. Minako went over to him and showed him and Carlos the proper way to hold the utensils. It was like the sticks functioned like a bird beak and was simple in theory, but much harder for the untrained city boys. Lexie had her technique down and Carlos could only speculate to how she learned where to hold them, but she was looking at the takoyaki with apprehension, as if she couldn't decide what it looked like.

"Lexie what's wrong? You haven't touched your food yet." She shifted uncomfortably and clutched the edge of her tunic, a slight blush of embarrassment on her face.

"I-It's dark and hard and it has this white gooey stuff splashed all over it…" Carlos and Justin both exchanged looks and deciphered the meaning of her statement.

"Stop talking so indecently!" Justin said with awkwardness. It made Carlos slightly lose his appetite, but he knew that this was all they had at the moment. Sucking up his squeamishness, he picked up a tako-a-whatchamacallit and popped it into his mouth. As he chewed he realized how delicious the food was and savored it. It had the taste of a fresh fried donut, but it had herbs Carlos couldn't recognize and the mayonnaise-ish topping complimented the crispy exterior well. Carlos gave Justin a thumbs up and he dove in as was enjoying their tako-ajigs, except for Lexie who had yet to eat one.

"You should eat Lexie," Said Cy, "You'll need the fuel for tonight."

"We're going in tonight?" Carlos asked with surprise.

"Yes, we are." Cy replied coolly.

"But shouldn't we wait? We should rest and do it tomorrow," Justin added. Cy shook his head in reply.

"I agree that we should rest, but that isn't an option now."

"Why not?" Carlos asked nervously.

"I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen tonight and if we don't go tonight… there won't be anyone to save by the morning…" So that's what it was. Perhaps Sera had told Cy that something was going down tonight and that they needed to get her out of there ASAP.

"Alright Cy… I trust you on this," Carlos said with finality.

"Thank you Carlos… now are there any other objections?" No one said anything so Cy continued. "Good. For tonight to go smoothly, we need a plan to get in and get out. I have been thinking of a few while we were traveling." Cy grabbed one of his weapons and drew a diagram in the dirt with the blade. "Now the Cloyster's Pearl is the most active at night and ironically, that is the time when it is the least guarded. It is filled to the brim with drunken men and the guards spend more time looking at the women than they doing their jobs. That is why we must strike at night because adversely… the brothel is much more secure during the day."

Cy drew four small lines in the dirt and one on the inside of the box he drew previously. "We will need one of us to sneak in and rescue the girls while the other four create distractions so that said rescuer can grab them and go. How does it sound so far?" The rest of them mumbled in agreement and Cy nodded his head. "Excellent, so now the only issue is who we're going to choose to rescue the girls and how they're going to get in and before anyone volunteers… I say that I should do it."

"Wait Cy." Carlos said, already seeing a problem in the plan. "You shouldn't go." Cy looked at Carlos with annoyance.

"Why not? Do you not think I am capable of saving them?"

"No that's not it… it's just… it's a brothel right? So you would need to look like one of the guys that go there and no offense dude, but you just don't fit the bill as some party crazy guy." Cy looked down and sighed.

"I see… I agree with you… I would need to be in character and I have no experience with such affairs I'm afraid.

"What about you Carlos? You know how to hang with the crazy crowd." Justin suggested. Carlos appreciated the fact that Justin recognized his talents, but sadly, not even he would be able to do it.

"Nope. I don't know how things really work here. Just being wild and crazy isn't enough to fool some people."

"You got a point there, but I'm sure as hell not doing it." Justin said, his arms up in a suggestion of surrender. "I'll get busted before I walk through the door, besides… that place is for grown men and I don't think my fifteen year old face is going to cut it." Justin was right. He was always a very mature guy, but he had a young face that would no doubt ruin any chance of him getting into the place. That left the two girls…

"That leaves us with either Minako or Lexie…" Carlos said thoughtfully.

"I-I'll do it!" Minako exclaimed, "Just tell me what they look like and I'll find them for you!"

"No way!" Justin rose up and looked at the girl dead in the eyes. "I'm not going to let you do that! What if something happened to you?"

"I-I want to help you… I feel like I'm just being a hindrance to you…"

"You can help me by keeping yourself safe Minako." Justin said with softness in his voice. Minako slumped down and grumbled. Carlos was with Justin on this one. If something did happen, Minako wouldn't be able to fight out of it.

"Guess that leaves me then…" Lexie said with resignation. "What do you need me to do?" She stood the best chance out of all of them, but they had to find a way to sneak her in.

"So you're really going to do it?" Justin asked.

"I have to! Everyone else has legitimate reasons and you're too scared to try…" She said tauntingly.

"What was that?" Justin sneered. He smiled and relaxed himself. "That's actually pretty funny coming from the girl too scared to eat a takoyaki…" Lexie's face reddend with embarrassment at his statement.

"T-That's not true!" Carlos was finding it hard to think under their argument.

"Then why don't you eat it then and prove me wrong?" Justin was pushing her buttons and Carlos knew that she had to crack. Lexie had too much pride to let her be defeated by food.

"F-Fine!" She grabbed one and the slight blush appeared on her face again. Before she took a bite out of it, Justin tapped her hand and the takoyaki skidded down the corner of her mouth leaving a trail of the mayonnaise. Justin started to laugh loudly at how red her face got. She turned her head to try and cover her face but Justin pursued her.

"W-Why are you so red?" He managed to say the short sentence before bursting into laughter again. Lexie said nothing and closed her eyes. Carlos had to refrain from laughing as well. He tried to regain his concentration, but couldn't stop from chuckling.

"What is so funny?" Cy leaned over and asked him and Minako had the same curiosity in her eyes as well. Carlos motioned for them to lean in and he whispered what was really going on to them. Minako's face went red as Lexie and Cy went wide-eyed. The expressions on their faces weren't helping Carlos's concentration.

"Why don't you just lick it off?" Justin teased further and Lexie's face went to shock.

"A-A-Are you crazy? That's so degrading!"

"It's just a little mayonnaise! C'mon, don't be a wimp!" Lexie turned away and Carlos heard sobbing. Lexie was shaking and it looked like she was…no way… was she… crying? Justin looked regretful of all the teasing he just did and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, Lexie?" She was still sobbing and Justin turned to Carlos and gave him a look that said, "Help!" Carlos shrugged his shoulders and Justin turned back around. "Hey Lexie… I...I'm sorry alright…" The sobbing stopped and now there were just sniffles.

"Y-You really mean that?"

"Well… yeah."

"You don't sound sorry..."

"What do you mean?"

"If you aren't sorry..." Carlos had an ominous feeling in his gut. "Then I'll make you sorry!"

"W-Wait!" Justin wasn't able to finish his sentence because Lexie tackled him to the ground and began to pummel him with blows which Justin attempted to block. "You liar, you weren't crying! That's just plain dirty!"

"Dirty? Me?" She accented each of her words with a strike. "The only dirty thing here is your mind you damn pervert!"

"Is this really all because of the mayonnaise? I didn't mean it like that! You're the one who thought about it that way, so that makes you the pervert!" Lexie paused and looked at him with incredulity and promptly began her assault again.

"Shut up! I'm not going to go easy on you this time! Telling me to lick it off..."

"It's just mayonnaise! You could juist wipe it off on your tunic you know!"

"I-I can't!" The redness returned to her face and she started to strike faster.

"And why not? Is it because of your perverted mind? Oof!" Lexie managed to hit him in the gut, but she didn't stop there.

"Shut up stupid!" Carlos, Minako, and Cy all looked at the occuring scene along with numerous amounts of the city goers.

"T-They're quite spirited," Said Minako.

"I guess that's what you can call it..." Carlos looked to Cy and asked, "Cy, you're not going to stop them?" The green hared warrior shook his head.

"Carlos... I am brave, but I'm not stupid." Carlos sighed and returned his thoughts top the plan and treid his best to push the ongoing fight out of his mind. There was no way Lexie was going to be able to pass into the place unless... unless...

"Lexie!" His call to her stopped the fight. Lexie had Justin in headlock and Justin was trying to wrench his way out. "I know how you're going to get in, but..."

"But what?" Lexie said, still keeping the lock on Justin's head. Carlos's friend's face was turning purple from the lack of oxygen.

"You aren't going to like it..." Carlos was positive this was going to work as long as Lexie kept her cool. It was brilliant, but once she heard what he had to say, she might kill him...

* * *

**That's the end of the chapter and in the next installment, they will commencing their rescue operation! This is what it's all been building up to guys so be ready for it! The update will be on Thursday and I will see you then!**

**-N-Black, Out**


	14. Chapter 13

**N-Black is back with Legacy and the start of the rescue operation! Carlos has developed a plan, but what is it and why would he say that Lexie would kill him once she heard it? **

** Chapter 13: To Save a Model **

Lexie was going to kill Carlos. It wasn't enough for Justin to embarrass her, no. Carlos had to take it to the next level with his plan which Lexie still thought was designed to further her humiliation. Why did they do this to her? Perhaps for revenge for when she busted both of them? It didn't matter to Lexie anymore. This went far beyond the confines of justice. Now... now it was personal...

Carlos's plan was simple and effective, but what made it nearly unbearable for Lexie was what she had to wear. The plan was to have her sneak into the staff of the brothel and safely lead Sera and Elesa out once she found them while the others would provide a distraction if need be. Justin and Cy gave Lexie the two girl's descriptions and they seemed to be easy to locate. For Sera, it was pretty much the female equivalent of Cy and for Elesa she was told to look for a girl with short blonde hair and icy blue eyes. Simple and effective. All Lexie had to do was dress like one of the staff, but which one? Since Carlos was obviously perverted, he chose to have Lexie dress like one of the, uh, "serving" girls at the brothel. Justin continued to laugh as soon as he pitched the idea and everyone seemed to agree with it.

Lexie knew it was the only viable option, but she fought against it anyway. Most of her dignity was ripped apart from Justin's little stunt and she wanted to retain the very last shred she had of it. Alas, she had to go ahead with it if they were to save the girls. Lexie was walking in the most deserted parts of the city she could find to avoid being seen by anyone. She got enough attention from the crime-time pals when they saw her in her disguise. She ran off without directions to the brothel because of those two whistling and making lewd comments about her attire.

Lexie was sure that Carlos had the rest of them pick the skimpiest thing possible since Lexie protested completely against the idea of him choosing her clothes for the evening mission. She was donning on her chest just a bra with ornate patterns on it that connected to long sleeves that revealed just the top of her shoulders. She wore a dark red skirt that had the same patterns as on the bra. Lexie ran around the city in wicker sandals and her hair was styled by Minako in a very traditional style of wear. Her hair was in a loose bun that was held together by two chopsticks. At the side of her head, she had a red flower and Carlos called it, "the icing in the cake."

She felt so vulnerable wearing these clothes. The thought of having to go into a place where men would gawk and grope her willingly and pretend she enjoyed it was probably her worst nightmare, but she snuck one of the guns she was hiding and hid it in her skirt so if anyone even thought about making a grab, they would be a hand short. Lexie looked up at the now descending sun and sighed. She would never find the brothel in time.

"Hey, are you going tonight?" She heard a man say from further up the alley.

"To the Cloyster's Pearl? I thought old Zinzolin was out of town on business?" The Cloyster's Pearl? Wasn't that the name of the brothel? Lexie listened in on the conversation closely. Maybe these two guys could lead her to the brothel?

"He was but he's back now and the brothel is open again! So what do you say?"

"I don't know... money is kind of tight right now..." Lexie cursed silently. She needs those two to get to the brothel. She had to think fast otherwise she might lose her chance. There was one option... no she would never do that! The voices of the men became more distant. The two girls' safety was dwindling fast. Lexie swallowed her pride and ran over to the men.

"Excuse me!" They turned around and looked her over from head to toe. One of them had drool leaking from the edge of his mouth. "I-I need your help with something..." She asked, trying hard to keep the distaste out of her voice.

"And what do you need?" The drooling man asked her with glassy eyes.

"Directions to the Cloyster's Pearl... you see... I'm new and I don't remember the way to the Pearl I'm afraid..." She asked innocently, hoping to get their attention with the cutesy tone she displayed.

"Well... that sounds like a problem. Don't worry, we've got you covered. Right? The other man nudged his drooling friend and he nodded vigorously.

"Wait, wait..." The drooling man said, wiping his mouth with his hand. "Well you see girly... I think you owe us for taking you over there so when we arrive..." He and his friend chuckled heavily. "We'll be your first customers... how's that sound? Fair?" Lexie held back the urge to yack all over them and somehow managed a smile.

"Of course." The two men began to walk and Lexie followed them apprehensively. She kept telling herself it was for the greater good to try and comfort herself. After traveling with the two lewd men, they came to a stop in front of a large building. The noise penetrated the outside despite the doors being closed. She looked up and saw a sign hanging above on the building. It had the drawing of what Lexie guessed was the Pokemon Cloyster and it had a rather happy face not to different to an internet meme she's seen from her world.

"We're here now..." The drooler said lustfully. "Now we'll just take our reward..." He made a grabbing motion and Lexie grabbed his hand and twisted it. He groaned in pain as Lexie applied pressure, happy to have control over something again.

"Take your reward? Like hell that's going to happen!" She delivered a swift kick to his family jewels and he doubled over in pain. Lexie ran behind the building with the man's friend yelling after her. Lexie took cover behind a pile of crates and she heard the two men stop in front of her hiding place.

"Where did that little whore go?"

"Do you think I know?" The person who spoke had a high-pitched voice and Lexie was satisfied to know she did some damage.

"Whatever... let's go and have some fun, er, I mean as much as you can right now." Lexie held back her laughter and waited for their footsteps to disappear. She popped out of her hiding place and searched for a back door. She slid it open partially and saw that the room was bustling with activity. Men were running around carrying pots and pans. Lexie guessed that it was the kitchen and went inside.

"Pardon me?" She tapped the shoulder of one of the cooks and he turned and looked at her confusedly.

"What are you doing here?" He put down his utensils and grabbed her wrist. "You know you're not supposed to be in the kitchens, so scram!" He tossed her unceremoniously out of the kitchen and into the main building. Lexie looked around her surroundings for any sign of the two girls, but was instead distracted by how lavish the interior was. Beautiful furniture lined the main room and music filled Lexie's ears. She snapped out of her daze and returned to searching the area for any sign of the girls.

She walked awkwardly into the crowd of people and decided to try and find Sera first. Cy said that she was posing as Zinzolin's attendant so if she could find Zinzolin, amyve she could find Sera. She passed by a table where men were seated around a table each with a row of blocks with different patterns on them. Lexie recognized the game as mahjong from her time busting illegal gambling operations in Black City. Girls were bust flirting with the men and many of the men tried to touch Lexie, but she conveniently sidestepped these attempts at her body.

She came out of the mass of people and spotted Justin and the others just arriving. Now that they were in position, she could search more liberally. There was a set of stairs that led to a series of doors. Those doors must lead to the rooms where the girls stayed. If Elesa or Sera weren't on the ground floor, then they had to be up top. She approached the staircase and flashed a quick smile to the guards at the base. Even the guards were eyeing her hungrily. She passed a few rooms and was trying to figure out where Sera or Elesa was staying. A door up ahead opened and out of it came a thin woman with a white dress that billowed behind her. Her skin was fair and she had green hair...

"Sera!" Cy's sister turned and looked at her confusedly. She looked like an exact replica of Cy, just more feminine, but she had a bandage on her cheek.

"Aren't you all supposed to be downstairs, but on second thought, you don't look familiar..."

"Sera, you don't know me, but I know you! I'm a friend of your brother!" Her eyes lit up and she looked at Lexie with wonder.

"C-Cy? He's... here?" Her eyes were turning moist with tears.

"Yes and he's here to save you!" A tear fell down her cheek and she turned away.

"B-But who are you?"

"I'm a friend of Justin and Carlos. They asked me to come-"

"Say no more!" Sera looked around and motioned for her to follow. "You're looking for Elesa? She'll be so happy!" She opened the door to a room and Lexie walked nervously inside. "Elesa?" There was a girl in front of a vanity with short blonde hair and icy blue eyes.

"W-Wait! You're Elesa Bolt! The super model!" How could Lexie have missed that? What did those two have to do with Elesa?

"That I am!" She got up and led her to a chair. "If you know who I am, then you're from my world!"

"That's not all Elesa." Sera took a seat on the bed in the room and smiled. "She's here with Cy... and you're friends." Elesa had an awestruck look in her eyes and smiled.

"T-They're here? That means..."

"That means we're leaving!" The two hugged and Lexie sat awkwardly in her chair, still thinking about how she hadn't known it was the famous Elesa.

"We should get going. The sooner we're out of this place the better." Lexie got up, but Elesa pulled her back into her seat.

"Wait! It's great to know that they're here and that we can leave, but who are you?" She forgot that she hadn't introduced herself yet.

"Lexie Adams, Black City Police Department." Elesa got up and didn't bother toask her anymore questions. The three of them were ready to leave when a knock on the door made them freeze. The door slid open to reveal a man in eloquent robes. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail and his thin beard and mustache were neat and trimmed.

"Ah... Zinzolin isn't greedy after all. Why, he even gave me his personal attendant and who are you? I didn't see you this morning?" Lexie couldn't think of what to say since she had no idea what was going on. "Well it doesn't matter does it? All you need to know is that I am Kaneko... the lord of Castelia City and we... we are going to have a fun time tonight..." So this creep was supposed to have his way with Elesa tonight. Good thing Lexie came when she did.

"Uh, Mister Kaneko?" Lexie asked cutely. "We actually have something to take care of before we... have fun, so if you'll please excuse us..." She reached for the door, but Kaneko blocked her move.

"What is so important that you have to leave me?" Crap. She didn't think this whole thing through.

"Uh, well... you see... Zinzolin has asked for Elesa to be taken to him, apparently there's been some kind of issue and he needs to see her right away." Kaneko squinted and sighed.

"Very well... I'll just make due with you two until Zinzolin lets this one go."

"Wait! There's more! Sera has to go down and manage the events downstairs. Things get pretty rowdy down there without proper control."

"And what of you?" Lexie could sense the annoyance in his voice.

"Master Zinzolin has asked for me to deliver the message and to return back to him immediately. I am a member of his personal, er, group of girls. Yeah." Kaneko studied the three of them and stepped aside.

"Elesa... I expect you back here as quickly as possible." He seemed on the edge of snapping.

"Thank you, uh, Lord Kaneko." Lexie reached for the door and heard shouting outside. There was a loud crash and more shouting. "What's going on down there?" All of them stepped outside and saw that there was brawl erupting on the ground floor and in the middle of it were the others. Lexie heard a yell next to her which was quickly silenced and saw Kaneko dragging her into the room. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Zinzolin has other problems to attend to right now, so she can stay with me!" Elesa pulled Kaneko's hand off of her mouth and yelled at the top of her lungs,

"JUSTIN!" Kaneko silenced her before she could yell again and sealed the door. Lexie and Sera pounded on it, but all they heard were the sounds of things crashing against the wall, no doubt Elesa trying to defend herself. Their attempts to bust the door down were futile. It must have been jammed by something rather large since the door wouldn't budge. The rest of them better get up here as soon as they could, but Lexie had no doubt that Justin and Carlos were going to be up here promptly after hearing Elesa scream. Lexie hoped that they were fast enough before Kaneko managed to do anything, but if he did... those two would rip him apart...

**So the rescue has begun and Lexie managed to find both Sera and Elesa, but Kanko has appeared to have his way with our favorite blonde and has sealed himself inside the room with Elesa when they discover that a brawl was set loose downstairs. What set off the brawl and can the free Elesa from Kaneko's clutches? I will try and finish the rescue arc by Friday so there'll be two more chapters to go through! See you tomorrow!**

**-N-Black, out**


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Brawl in the Pearl**

Justin opened the doors to the Cloyster's Pearl, anxiousness making his hair stand on end. They were close to saving Elesa and Cy's sister Sera. Hopefully Lexie didn't get lost after she took off by herself. Justin swore that her stubborn pride would be the end of her. Maybe dressing like that and running through the city taught her a lesson she wouldn't soon forget.

"We're here..." Cy said quietly. Justin could tell that Cy was anxious as well. Justin didn't need any evidence to know how much Sera means to Cy. "Right now that we're in, we can provide a distraction if need be."

"But where's Lexie at?" Carlos asked, his head darting around to try and find a sign of her.

"She can handle herself and if she isn't here then we do it ourselves." Justin said with finality.

"What will we do now Justin?" Minako was close to him, looking suspiciously at the men in the room who kept glancing at her.

"You follow our lead so you don't get hurt... but I wouldn't have to worry about that if you just stayed behind."

"This again? I thought you were going to drop that issue?" Justin was frustrated with her since Lexie left. Justin knew the dangers that they would be facing and he didn't want to have Minako be in the middle of it all. He requested that she stay behind so that she was safe with the Rapidash, but she was adamant about tagging along. Justin just let her come. He didn't want to be anymore flustered with her than he was already.

Besides, they might need someone to keep an eye on the Rapidash since that was what they were going to get away on. They would split up with one group on foot, the other on Rapidash and they would meet up by the docks.

"Listen Minako, I know you want to help, but you would be the most helpful if you were looking after the Rapidash."

"_You_ listen to me Justin." He stopped and looked at her with surprise. She never acted that way before. Minako was usually passive and wasn't very demanding. "I won't keep my eyes off of you lest you do something reckless." Justin started to walk again and shook his head.

"You sound like Elesa..."

"Well it sounds like she's a smart girl..." Justin looked at her with surprise again. For the past few days, she was docile, but right now she was quite the sass. Justin threw the thoughts out of his mind and focused on the mission. They had a job to do and they had to do it quietly.

"Let's mingle with the people for now. Keep a low profile." Cy said, as they squeezed through the group of people. It was like being in the city streets again. He bumped continuously into other people and said a string of apologies as they maneuvered through the mass of bodies. "We should find a place where we can watch the exits... over there!" He pointed over to a table where it looked like there was gambling going on.

They approached the table and it looked like Justin was right. They were playing Mahjong, but more importantly was the view they had of the place. There weren't as many people around so they could see the outside area better. Carlos was rubbing his hands and smiling like he had a plan.

"Carlos, don't tell me that you're going to..."

"Oh yes I am... Cy."

"Yes?"

"You still have money on you?" Cy looked at Justin who was now looking around worriedly. Once Carlos saw something he wanted to do, he set his mind to it.

"Yes, I do... why?"

"Trust me." He held out his hand and Cy reluctantly gave him a few coins. "Thank you." He patted Cy's back and took a seat at the table. "This table is way too quiet... time to have some fun."

"What is he doing?" Minako asked Justin quietly.

"Getting us found out." In no time at all, Carlos had most of the people on the ground floor cheering and hollering for him at the table. He flipped over his row of Mahjong blocks and the crowd around them yelled in excitement. "Did you win?" Justin had to nearly scream to get Carlos to hear him.

"Yeah... for the seventh time in a row! Lets go!" The entire crowd was behind him and Justin, Cy, and Minako were left standing together awkwardly with nothing to do.

"To think I was to come here three nights ago." Minako yield into Justin's ear. "Now I'm here willingly..."

"But it's for a good reason. Don't forget that." She smiled and the crowd erupted into cheer again. He heard a gasp from next to him and saw Minako was red. Justin looked behind her and saw a sleazy man with a happy smirk on his face. If he was doing what he thought he was doing, someone was going to lose fingers. "Hey!" The man ignored him and it just pissed him off further. Justin grabbed the man's arm and twisted it.

"Ow! What's your problem?" The man looked similar to Lester with his rat like face. The crowd stopped cheering and was now looking at the two of them.

"Hands off!"

"Look I didn't know that she was your whore, I just-" Justin twisted the man's arm further to stop him from talking.

"Call her that again!" From the crowd, two others walked to the man's side.

"Ha... you're in deep shit now!" Justin glanced behind him and saw that Cy had his hands at his sides, they were dangerously close to the blades.

"Maybe, but I'm not the one with broken nose."

"Broken nos-" Justin punched him straight in the nose and it sent the man tumbling down. He was clutching his nose in pain and pointed to the two others to go after him.

"You don't want to do that." The other two smirked and lunged for him. Justin stepped to the side and let Cy do the rest. Cy spun around and gave a solid roundhouse kick to one of the attackers. The hit sent knocked the attacker out and he landed onto his partner.

"What's going on here?" Several of the guards of the brothel came into the crowd, their hands at their weapons. The rat-faced groper got up and still clutched his nose.

"H-He and that other guy! They broke my nose and assaulted them all because I touched some whore!" Justin nearly lunged but Carlos held him back by the back of his tunic.

"You're coming with us." Justin let them come around behind to bind him and said to Carlos,

"Just like old times?" His longtime friend nodded.

"Just like old times." Before they could tightly secure the bindings, Justin whipped around and shoulder-checked the guard, knocking him into a nearby table. Carlos grabbed the guard that was coming for Justin and knocked him to the ground with a big right hook. More guards cam from the other side, to many for them to handle. Before Justin had time to think, Cy went to the nearest table and kicked it over. It landed with a loud thud and the mahjong pieces clattered as they spilled on the ground. The running guards didn't have anytime to stop so they tumbled over the table and landed painfully on the hardwood. However a few of the other guards who were in the back managed to run around it and now they had a swarm of guards after them.

"What do we do now?" Carlos asked. Justin had a spilt second idea and ran to into the crowd. Once he was deep inside the crowd of people he grabbed one guys arm and made him punch a random person. He disappeared from view and sure enough, the two men were in a brawl of their own and Justin was waiting for the domino effect any minute now. He looked back and saw one of the guys dodged a punch, but it instead hit another person. He was out of the mess of people and the others were right behind him. Now the entire group of people was fighting.

"You know how to start a fight..." Cy said as he looked on at the sight.

"Thank you, now let's... go." Justin paused as he saw more guards were around them and the brawl was moving their way fast.

"Stop where you are! You will answer to the Knight Commander for this!" The guards had their swords drawn and were slowly pushing them back. They were in between a rock and a hard place. They couldn't get sucked into the brawl, it would waste too much time and they couldn't fight off the guards. There was no time, he had to make a decision, he had to-

"JUSTIN!" He looked up to the balcony and saw just a glimpse of blonde hair.

"That was..."

"Elesa." Justin finished Carlos's sentence and charged the guards. He drew his sword and made wild slashes in the air. He wasn't trying to hit anything in particular; he wanted to spread the guards out. There was a gap in the wall they made and Justin ran through.

"Justin! What are you doing?" Cy yelled at him, but he had no intention of answering him. That was Elesa's voice no doubt, but she needed help, he just knew it. The guard chased after him and the others were following him. Justin ran up the stairs, but was blocked by two guards. They sized him up and struck at the same time. Justin blocked the combined blow, but just barely. Having to block two strikes at the same time was difficult and the fact that the other guards were right behind him wasn't helping either.

The came at him at the same time, but at different angles. Justin ducked one and blocked the other. One of them kicked him down and they were already on him. Both of their swords jabbed down at him and he rolled out of the way just in time. They were having trouble pulling their weapons out of the floorboards so Justin took the opportunity of punching both of them in the throat. They clutched their necks and fell to the ground gasping for air. Justin checked on the others and saw that Cy was holding the other guards down by himself and Carlos was chasing after Minako who snuck through the fighting.

"Justin!" She barreled towards him and Justin caught her. "What is wrong with you? Taking off like that... I told you that you were reckless!" Carlos came up next and looked at the two guards on the floor.

"I see you're no slouch."

"Yeah..." Justin looked down at Cy again. The guards were still trying to get up to the top floor, but Cy kept pushing them back down. "Is he going to be ok fighting all those guys?"

"Don't worry... he'll be fine." Carlos smiled and patted him on the back. "Now let's go. We have some damsels to save." The three of them left Cy to handle the remaining guards while they searched for Elesa and Sera.

"Carlos! Justin!" Lexie was up ahead with another girl in a white dress and green hair who Justin guessed was Sera. They met up with the two girls who were panting. Their brows were moist with sweat.

"Lexie! You got here okay!" Justin looked at the door and had a bad feeling. "She's in there isn't she?" Lexie nodded firmly and tried to slide the door open, but it wouldn't move.

"Sera and I have been trying to get it open, but it's lamed from the inside!" Justin tried his luck with it and Lexie was right. The door would not move no matter what.

"What's going on in there?" Carlos asked. Lexie looked away and Justin felt his paranoia skyrocket.

"Lexie..." Justin asked quietly. "What's happening in there?" He looked her dead in the eye and she relaxed.

"T-There's someone else in there... and he's trying to... rape her." His mind went blank and he turned to the door. He said nothing and instead went to kicking the door as hard as he could. Carlos was doing the same. No one was going to hurt her as long as he was still breathing. With each of their kicks, the door came looser. Justin and Carlos both kicked at the same time and the door collapsed. Justin ran inside with his sword drawn and saw Elesa being held at dagger point. She was held in a choke by a man who was behind her. He looked like he was well dressed at one point, but his robes were ripped and red mark on his cheek suggested that Elesa had done her part.

"Let her go..." Justin said quietly. The man did nothing, but kept the dagger close at her neck.

"All of you will pay for crossing me this day! Don't you have any idea who I am you fools?" He smirked at them confidently, obviously thinking he intimidated them.

"Do I know you know you? No, I don't" The man's smirk faded as Justin spoke. "I don't give a damn who you are!" The man tightened his grip on the dagger and looked at Justin intensely.

"W-What do you mean you do not know who I am?" As he looked at Justin, it looked like a light bulb went off in his head. "Wait... I know you... You were the one who fought Wallace!" He smiled triumphantly, but Justin didn't care if he felt like he won because that man wasn't going to leave this room... not in one piece. "Striking out against the Knights of the Crusade isn't a wise move at all..."

"Wise? WISE?" Justin roared. "YOU'RE DEAD!"

"Y-You wouldn't dare attack me while I hold her would you?" Justin had to keep himself from just attacking him right there. As much as he hated to admit it, this man held the advantage over them as long as Elesa was at his mercy. "You are going to let me leave this place otherwise I will slice her neck open. Put down your weapons! Now!" Justin felt his rage build and screamed. He stabbed the sword into the floor and backed away.

"Justin... you're not serious?" Carlos asked with disbelief.

"I-I have to..." The man walked out of the room and to the stairs with the dagger still firmly at Elesa's neck.

"J-Justin..." She said weakly. He felt a rush of shame run through him. He had come this far only to step out of the way and let Elesa go. He would do anything for her, he owed her his life and he couldn't even keep that promise to her...

"_It's not over..." _A voice said in his head. It wasn't like the voice before he blacked out. It was distinctly feminine. "_You can still save her... There is always a way to save the ones you love. Always..." _The voice faded and Justin called out to Elesa.

"

Elesa." He said calmly. "Don't you remember what I taught you when we were in Black City? What to do in this kind of situation?" Justin hoped that she remembered what to do. Whenever he took Elesa out into the city, he worried about her so to make sure she could take care of herself if she needed to. He showed her a few tricks he picked up on during his missions. She looked blankly at him and then smiled.

"What're you up to? Why are you smiling? Do you think that this is all a jok-" He grunted and dropped the dagger. Elesa elbowed him in the stomach and he dropped to the ground clutching his groin. Justin and the others cheered and after pulling his sword out of the floorboards, he ran to Elesa. Justin nearly crushed Elesa when he hugged her.

"N-Not so hard..." She was returning the hug despite the crushing vice he held her in. He couldn't help it, if he wasn't around, she got into trouble.

"Elesa!" Carlos joined in on the hug as well. "You had us worried there! What did you do to the bastard?" She smirked and pointed at Justin.

"He taught me a few things before we went into the city. You know how to blend wit the crowd, get away from the cops, kick some sorry asshole in his gonads when he tries to keep you hostage." The three of them laughed and Justin stepped out of the group to check on everyone else.

"I take it that you are Sera." The pale skinned girl was the splitting image of Cy. She walked elegantly towards Justin and nodded her head. She seemed okay, but she had a bandage on her cheek.

"You did well... I told you that there's always a way." Justin realized that it was her talking to him. She walked past him before he could raise the question and left him dumbfounded. Was she a Gijinka too? Lexie and Minako walked up to him next.

"Could've gone a little smoother, but not too bad Justin." Lexie said. "You could be a good cop one day."

"Like that's ever going to happen." She laughed, but Justin wasn't. "No I'm serious." She rolled her eyes and walked past.

"Well... I guess it's over now." Minako said.

"Looks like it... hey look!" Cy was coming up the stairs and when he spotted Sera, Justin saw all the hardness, the tough exterior peel away.

"Sera!" His sister heard him and went over to him. He placed his hands on her shoulders and hugged her. "Thank Arceus you're safe!"

"I-I miss you to brother..." Sera was trying her hardest to not break down, but Justin could see a tear roll down her cheek. Cy looked at his sister and touched the bandage tenderly.

"Who did this?"

"Z-Zinzolin." Justin saw the old Cy he first met come back. "Brother, don't go. He has already left to get the knights, I am sure of it!"

"But he must pay!"

"No, do not let your emotions get the better of you Cy! The important thing is that we leave here while we can." Cy looked torn. Justin knew he wanted to rip this Zinzolin guy apart.

"Very well Sera...I will bow to your judgment. Let us go friends!" They ran down the stairs one by one and Justin was the last on the top floor. He was about to step down when he heard a groan at his feet. The man that held a dagger at Elesa's throat earlier was grabbing onto his pants. Justin reached for his sword without realizing and held the point over the man's throat. His life was in his hands now. No one was here to stop him. He raised the point and was about to thrust when he remembered Sera's words to Cy.

"_No, do not let your emotions get the better of you Cy_!" Justin moved the sword tip away from the man's throat and sheathed it. The man chuckled softly.

"You are a fool not to kill me... Whoever you are... I will find you and put you through hell! That... is a promise from Akihiro Kaneko. The Lord of Castelia!" Justin crouched down so that he was eye level with the man.

"Didn't I already tell you that I don't give a damn who you are? You said that you're going to put me through hell?" Justin scoffed. "Hell? I've already been through it. Oh, and to save you the time of finding out my name, it's Justin Evoran." Justin punched Kaneko in the jaw and the man went limp. Satisfied with his work, Justin met up with the others downstairs.

"What took you so long?" Carlos asked.

"Had to say a few things to that douche upstairs."

"Let's go shall we?" Cy said and everyone started to walk, but Carlos stopped.

"What's wrong Carlos?" Elesa asked.

"Where did everyone else go?" Justin looked around and saw that the brawlers were gone. The furniture and the entire place was a wreck, but there was no sign of the people from earlier.

"I don't like this one bit..." Lexie said looking at the doors. Justin heard something from outside. There was loud clanking noise from outside and Justin drew his sword. The doors were busted open and the armor clad knights poured in. A man came in at the back of the knights and smiled evilly.

"Zinzolin!" Said Sera with distaste. This was the person in charge of this place?

"Well, well... looks like we have a rodent problem! Resistance scum!" The old man spat. "We will send whatever remains of your corpses back to your leader! Attack!" The troop of knights which had to number about thirty all charged. This was it... fight or die...

**So our group has finally reunited, but they must fight their way out to live another day, but against such numbers, the chances are slim. What will they do? Don't forget to review, follow, and favorite you guys! The end of the arc is tomorrow so be prepared!**

**-N-Black, Out**


	16. Chapter 15

**N-Black is back with the conclusion of the rescue arc! This is it guys! What the first part of the story has all been building up to. It's time for the curtain to fall on this mission...**

** Chapter 15: Demons of the Night**

Steel bounded off of steel in the night. The sharp hiss of blades clashing echoed in the halls of the Cloyster's Pearl. The battle cries of the knights filled Justin's ears. It was happening so fast. His adversary stabbed the air hoping to stick him, but Justin rolled out of the way. They were outnumbered badly with no way out other than fighting their way through. The sword of his opponent whizzed inched from his face and Justin made a swipe at the man's exposed chest. The blade glanced off of the armor and the recoil made Justin's bones rattle. The knight laughed at the blow and slashed downward ferociously. Justin couldn't pierce the armor of the knight's with his sword and his opponent knew that.

The knight made another slash, but Justin was out of space to escape it. He closed his eyes waiting for the impending strike, but there was instead the sound of a blade breaking. In front of him stood Carlos who had taken the strike to his shoulder, but looked unharmed. Half of the knight's sword clanged as it hit the ground a few feet away. Carlos pushed the knight down and kicked his head to knock him out.

"You good?" Carlos asked.

"Y-Yeah." Justin was stunned to see Carlos was completely unharmed from the strike. Guess he actually had powers then.

"Let's go help Cy!" The two of them charged forward to see Cy holding off five of the knights. He hadn't drawn his weapons yet. A sword was about to cleave his head, but the green haired warrior deftly dodged the strike and caught the attacker's arm. He tossed the knight into one of his companions and the two collapsed like metal dominos. The other three went in for their attack next.

Cy cart wheeled out of the range of their weapons. A single knight went after him. Cy back flipped and caught the knight's chin with his foot. He landed gracefully and the attacking knight toppled over. The other two ran at him from opposite sides. Cy jumped and spun in the air as the two knights slashed horizontally. Cy was in between the two blades. Each of the swords missing Cy by centimeters. Cy landed and drew his weapons. He cut the two knights' throats and a spray of red mist erupted from their necks. Several other knights went after Cy, but he flipped out of their reach and landed in front of Justin and Carlos in a crouched stance.

"Are you two ready?" He glanced back and they both nodded slowly, absolutely amazed at what they just saw. Cy extended his blades and glared at the knights. They were still outnumbered heavily. Justin peered back to check on the girls. They ran up to the balcony to get out of the fighting.

"You aren't doing this without me!" Lexie hopped off the top of the balcony and landed next to them.

"Did we ask for your help?" Justin said sarcastically.

"I'm still going to bust you two once we're out of this mess." She reached behind her back and pulled out a gun.

"You've had a gun the entire time?" Justin exclaimed. "There are so many times we could've used that!" She cocked the firearm and smiled.

"Women have their secrets..." The knights charged once again and Lexie took aim. She fired the gun and the harsh pop made Justin's ears ring. She fired three shots and three knights fell down. The knights paused at the sound of the gun and looked at Lexie with bewilderment.

"What magic is this?" One of them yelled. Cy took advantage of their hesitation and jumped right into the fray. He ran and cut through a rank of soldiers, his blades glinting dangerously as he slashed. The rest of the knights were forming a ring around Cy. If they set up around him, he would be trapped inside.

"Carlos, Lexie, let's go!" The three of them ran into the mess of soldiers, but they were ready for them. The outer ring of knights turned and forced them back. Leixe fired a shot and one of the knights fell dead. The others didn't bother to look upon their fallen comrade. The shock and awe factor of the gun must've worn off. A few of them charged and Carlos took the lead. Each of their strikes hit him, but the weapons bended and chipped. The knights threw their weapons on the ground and raised their hands.

"You don't want to do that~!" Carlos said in a sing song voice. It seemed to frustrate the knights enough to get them to punch. One of them struck and the blow made a dull thud against Carlos's chest. The knight didn't yelp in pain however. The knight went for a hook and hit Carlos's face. The blow knocked his head to the side, but Carlos looked at the knight with squinted eyes. "You can punch my chest, you can stab me with a sword, but no one... touches the face!" Carlos reeled back his fist and before Justin could stop him from foolishly punching the armor, Carlos was already in motion. He connected and the knight flew back a good five feet. A fist shaped dent was in his chest guard.

"Damn!" Justin said. Nothing else came to mind at that moment. Carlos looked at his hand and smiled.

"Anyone else want some?" The knights dropped their weapons and ran off. "That's what I thought... pussies." Justin pointed at the ring of bodies that was engulfing Cy. They charged and Carlos pretty much steamrolled through the crowd. One knight attempted to stop him so Carlos hit the man with an uppercut that sent him a few feet into the air. Carlos broke through the rest of the knights and Justin fended off the sword strikes from behind. Most of the knights were having a problem just getting back up after being knocked down. A stab nearly hit Justin's gut, but he managed to see it before it landed. He tripped one of the soldiers and he fell into his comrades. Justin looked back and saw that Cy was okay. He was panting, but there were no visible injuries. The knights were getting back up and the four of them stood close to each other.

"Carlos!" Cy yelled.

"Yeah?"

"Take Lexie and Justin and get the others out safely! I'll handle things from here!" Justin looked at the numbers of their enemies. They were about down to half and Justin had no doubt that Cy would be able to handle all of them, but he wanted to be there to make sure.

"No Cy! I'm staying!" Justin said with finality.

"Just go! I will take care of this!" Justin put a hand on the warrior's shoulder.

"You said that you needed to trust me to have your back in a fight, well trust me now!" Cy looked at the adversaries and smirked.

"Very well then... just don't get in my way!" Justin nodded to Carlos and he and Lexie left to get the girls. Zinzolin was still in the back, safe from attack. He didn't look as confident as earlier.

"What are you all standing around for?" The Sage yelled. "Get them!" The knights charged once again and Cy dashed ahead without warning.

"Hey! This is a team thing you know!" Justin ran in after him. Cy was cutting and kicking a storm. No one was able to touch him. Justin blocked a few strikes from two knights that were on him at the moment. Everyone else was focused on Cy. Justin locked blades with one knight while the other went to go after Cy. "What the hell?"

"I don't need any help for a runt like you!" The knight said as he sneered. Justin felt his irritation rise. Justin knocked the knight's sword out of his hand with a single slash and smacked the flat of the blade against the soldier's head. He crumpled on the ground clutching the side of his head.

"Just because I'm not as good as he is." Justin pointed to Cy. "Doesn't mean I'm not a threat!" He repeatedly kicked the man in any spots the armor wasn't covering and left him there after he felt the message got through. Justin tripped a knight to get back to back with Cy. They were encircled by the remaining forces, but Cy laughed. "What's so funny?"

"I did not expect you to handle yourself so well!"

"Well I am known for my being full of surprises..."

"Come on! Are you scared Plasma Crusade?" Cy bellowed mockingly. "Now you will feel the sting of my blades when they tear the skin from your bones!" Cy didn't wait for them to make the first move. He engaged half of the knights and the other half surrounded Justin. There was about five of them and they smiled when they encircled him.

"Ha! This one has no idea what he's doing!" The other knights chuckled and Justin waited for him to talk again. "No one's here for you now!"

"I don't need anyone else when I have..." Justin slashed quickly with his sword and the loudmouth knight screamed in pain. "This!" The knight held his face which now had a crimson cut coming from the corner of his mouth to his hairline. The other four knights lunged and instead of going back, he slid in between two swords and stabbed a gap in one of the knights' shoulder. The soldier dropped his weapon and Justin pulled the weapon out and slashed downwards to hit the second knight's exposed leg. He fell in agony after the injury and that left Justin just two more.

One of them came with an overhead strike and the other was swiping at his legs horizontally. Justin leapt back and the two strikes intersected. The two knights fumbled and Justin took his chance. Before they could pick up their weapons, Justin placed a foot on them and made a quick stab to each of their arms. He crippled both of their sword arms and Justin saw that Cy was just finishing up as well. He held a knight in a chokehold and snapped his neck. The two of them turned their attention to Zinzolin. The old Sage backed away with fear in his eyes.

"N-No... it's impossible!" He looked down and was silent. After a few seconds, Justin heard the man chuckle. "Is... is that what you thought I'd say?" He snapped his fingers and more knights came pouring in. There were so many of them. Much more than the amount they previously fought.

"Justin!" He heard Carlos's voice from upstairs. The knights were up there as well! They had them trapped from the beginning. Zinzolin roared with laughter.

"Poor little resistance fighters... you were never going to win in the first place! I admit your skills were impressive, but how long can you hold out, hm? Why don't we see right now!" Justin and Cy backed up and the knights closed in on them slowly.

"Cy, what do we do now?" The green haired warrior looked frantically at his sister and scowled.

"Damn it! We have... we have to fight!"

"Are you insane? We can't fight out of this!"

"Do you have a better plan?" He didn't have one. Their only option, no matter how much Justin tried to convince himself it wasn't, was to fight their way out... again. Justin was running low on energy to use and soon Cy would too. The knights charged full speed and everything was in slow-motion. The screams of the knights were low pitched and their motions were like they were stuck in molasses. A familiar ache pounded in his brain and he felt dizzy.

"_Li-" _Justin was hearing the voices again. He couldn't black out, not here. "_You... mu-" _The message was choppy and Justin couldn't understand it clearly.

"NO!" A scream put his senses back onto real time. The knights were nearly upon them and Cy was on one knee. The exhaustion of the earlier fight was catching up to him. The scream sounded like Sera's voice, but when Justin looked at the balcony, she wasn't there. A wind blew by Justin's face and in a flash of light, Sera stood in front of them, her arms outstretched and a faint blue aura around her body. The blows of the knights were bounced back by an invisible force which Sera was producing. The blows were halted in their tracks by the psychic shield.

"Sera..." Cy said desperately. Sera turned to look at her brother and a sword passed through the barrier and hit her in the midsection. She gasped and the sword was pulled out. Sera fell to the ground and Cy's eyes widened at the sight of his wounded sister. The color drained from his face and the same blue energy was forming around Cy. Several swords stabbed after them, but as they came into contact with the area around them, they began to bend. Cy rose from his knee and held his weapons out. He swiped with a blade and the first row of knights all collapsed. Their midsections were cut by the energy now forming around Cy's blades.

Cy looked at his sister and roared. The air around Cy was distorted. Cy ran through the ranks of soldiers and by the time he passed them, they were just beginning to fall down. Cy's Gijinka powers... was this their true power? Cy was fighting off each knight one by one, but there was so many of them. Each rime he cut down one, another would take his place instantly. The aura around Cy was dimming and a sword strike cut his shoulder. He fought and fought, but the cuts were adding up on Cy's body. The warrior held out his palm and a blast of energy pushed the knights back.

Cy fell to the ground and the aura dissipated. He was struggling to keep on his feet, but he pulled himself up. This was it. There was no way they were going to leave here alive. The knights approached Cy as he staggered just trying to stand. Justin went to Sera's side. She was still breathing, but she needed help quickly if she was going to live. His head throbbed again.

"_You... must..." _The message stopped short, but the last word filled his head when the voices said it in hushed whispers. "_Live... You must live!"_ Justin looked upon Cy and the knights were about to strike. Each of the knights that head their weapons ready to strike fell to the ground. The knights on the balcony fell as well. Some looked like they were pushed over. One fell close to Justin and he saw what looked like shuriken in his neck. Leaves twirled around in front of Cy and in the blink of an eye, two new people were standing back to back. They were dressed in what looked like ninja robes. Pieces of armor lined a few parts on their body. One of these new people had brown hair that was slicked upwards to the left. His armor was blood red, but the bigger pieces that covered his chest were black. A mask covered his nose and mouth, but his pale blue eyes were visible.

The second one was in dark blue robes that had bandages wrapped around his wrists. Unlike his counterpart, he had his entire face head covered in a black mask that only had a slit for his dark eyes. Only the one in red had any visible weapons in the form of a sword at his waist.

"Well, well, well... looks like we have some cleaning up to do." The one in the red said. "How much trouble do you think Cy's going to be in Kage?" The one named Kage did not speak. "Come on, talk to me Kage!"

"For a warrior trained in stealth... you are the noisiest ninja I have ever met." Kage's voice was deep and baritone. "We're here to perform our job Kris..."

"Yeah, yeah..." Cy looked at the two ninjas with astonishment.

"Y-You..." A knight made a move at the red clad ninja, but in a second, the knight was impaled by the ninja's sword.

"Nuh-uh-uh! Bad Plasma!" He pulled his sword out and disappeared. The one named Kage sighed.

"Always a hot-head." He disappeared as well. Not to soon after they both disappeared, there was screaming from the Plasma's. Justin saw the glimpse of the shuriken whizzing through the air and hitting their marks and the red blur of Kris cutting through the knights. Kage appeared in the middle of a large group of Plasmas that attacked as soon as they saw him. Kris was fast, but this Kage person seemed to be everywhere at once. Justin saw him kicking and stabbing each of the Plasmas, but it looked like he didn't move at all from where he was standing. The once huge number of Plasmas dwindled down to a few attempting to run for their lives.

"Get back here!" The red ninja hit two escaping knights with shuriken before they were all gone. "Damn. Some got away."

"We're not here for them Kris."

"What about Zinzolin? He's an important target!"

"He's gone. We are after Sera Bellum, but it looks like Cy beat us here." Kage seemingly teleported in front of Cy and punched him in the stomach.

"W-Why?" Cy gasped as Kage held him up.

"You have much to answer for." Cy's eyes closed and he fell unconscious to the ground.

"What the hell?" Justin yelled after them. Kris teleported in front of Sera and looked at her wound. "Leave her alone!"

"Relax your safe now." The red ninja said nonchalantly.

"Safe my ass!" He tried to grab Kris but the ninja grabbed Sera and warped back to where he was originally.

"He's a rowdy one! What do you want to do with 'em?"

"We take them as well. They may know something."

"We're not going anywhere with you!" Carlos yelled from on the balcony. "Who the hell are you?"

"They're going to be troublesome..." Kage held his hands out and Justin heard a high-pitched buzzing sound. It was like being inside of a bee's nest. It made him dizzy and nauseous and he felt like he was going to pass out.

"W-What's going on...?" Justin heard Elesa's voice, but it started to become unclear. He heard the dull footsteps of the ninja Kage walk toward him.

"Hm... you're still conscious. Impressive... not many remain conscious after exposure to this sound, but you will have to endure it once more..." He felt a gloved hand on his head and the buzzing returned even more intense. He fell into unconsciousness near instantaneously. They were alive, that much could be said, but Justin had a feeling that they were going to be chucked from the frying pan and into the fire...

**That's all folks! The rescue arc is completed, but this by no means the happy ending some of you expected! Who are these two deadly ninjas and what do they want with Sera? Where are they going to be taken? Find out on Thursday! Until then!**

**-N-Black, Out**


	17. Chapter 16

** Chapter 16: The Hearing! The Resistance Leader is revealed!**

Justin gripped his head as he slowly rose up. It felt like it was going to crack open at any moment if he didn't hold it together. In his ears, he heard the sound of faint buzzing and remembered why he was unconscious. The battle at the brothel, Sera getting stabbed, and the ninjas… it all felt like a bad dream.

"So you're awake…" A familiar deep voice rang from one of the dark corners of the room he was in.

"Who's there?!"

"Relax. You're safe… for the time being." From out of the shadows, the ninja in dark blue wrappings named Kage emerged. He walked leisurely over to a candle and lit it. Justin surveyed the room he was in. He was sleeping on a simple mat with a well-used blanket. The room was empty except for the two of them.

"Where are we?"

"Not for me to answer. Come." Kage didn't wait for an answer and instead opened the sliding door to unleash a flood of sunlight. Justin got up shakily and walked out of the room and into the sun. His feet touched the cool grass. Where were his shoes? "Ah, here." Kage pointed next to him and Justin saw a pair of straw sandals. He slipped them on, curious as to where his shoes went.

Justin follow Kage warily, unsure of the ninja's intentions. There were several small buildings similar to the ones where Justin was in. They were traditional Samurai houses, but were much less nice than the ones Justin has seen in books. These had to be the foot soldier's homes. Justin spotted Carlos up ahead. He was being watched by two guards with naginatas, spears with long, broad blades.

"Carlos!" His friend turned and Carlos started to run, but the two guards started to hold him back.

"H-Hey! Don't move!"

"He's strong!" Carlos broke out of their grip and rushed towards Justin. Kage, who was behind Justin at the moment, teleported in front of him to halt his advance.

"You should be more careful."

"Why did you take us here?" Carlos asked, "Where are the girls?"

"They are being brought here by my associate." Justin vaguely remembered the red ninja. "Be patient." The two of them stood under the watch of the Kage and the two guards. Many males, whom Justin assumed were all warriors, came out of the various shacks and passed them dubious glances. They all seemed to be going the same way. Justin wanted to ask, but Kage would probably just ignore him.

"What's taking so long?" Carlos snorted impatiently.

"I was going to ask the same question…" Kage said calmly. "He's always late when it's not something he wants to do." Over the horizon, Justin heard shouting.

"Kage! Kage!"

"Who's that?" Justin asked.

"That would be my associate Kris." Kage put his head in his hands as if disappointed. The ninja in red came over the horizon and behind him were Lexie, Elesa, and Minako. The four of them came to a stop and the red ninja walked up to Kage.

"Sorry I'm late. I had a bit of a… accident!" He pointed to his cheek, which was red with a hand shaped mark.

"Who slapped you?" Justin asked slightly amused.

"The blonde one… yeesh! She's strong for someone so thin…"

"What was that?" Elesa asked angrily.

"N-Nothing! Anyways, what's next Kage?"

"You'll take them to the hearing. I have matters to attend to." With that, Kage disappeared. How he just seemingly vanished, Justin would never know.

"Always leaving me with to do the stuff you don't like… anyways you five!" The red ninja pointed at them and looked them over. "You are to follow me to the grand hall for the hearing."

"Are we in some kind of trouble with you guys?" Justin asked.

"Well… I can't say for sure…"

"Oh." Justin said simply. He knew that he as holding out information from him; he could tell by the way he acted. "I see…"

"What do you mean?" He got his attention now.

"Nothing really… I guess that they don't trust you with that kind of important information then."

"What are you getting at here?" Annoyance was in the ninja's voice.

"If you don't know that's fine, but I do find it a little disrespectful that they would send someone so untrustworthy to take us to such an important meeting." A vein bulged in the ninja's head. "**Got him.**" Justin thought with satisfaction.

"Oh I get it now! You think that I'm a slacker don't you? Well I'll tell you that I know exactly why they wanted to bring you to the hearing!"

"Uh, Kris?" One of the other guards tried to stop him, but Kris kept going.

"You're going to hear what punishment the leader of the resistance is going to inflict on Cy and what we're going to do with all of you!" Justin's eyes widened. They were going to punish him? For what? "Ah, see! My knowledge of what goes on here is outstanding!"

"Wow. I didn't know that we were in the resistance base!" Justin said with mock surprise. "I bet you don't what city it's in do you?" Justin kept egging him on for information.

"Of course I do! It's-"

"Kris!" One of the two guards covered the ninja's mouth before he could say anything else. "Are you trying to tell them everything about the base? What if they're spies?" Kris pulled the man's hand away from his mouth and snorted with defiance.

"Excellent work men! You have passed my test!"

"Test?" The two guards looked at him confusedly.

"Yes, my test! I was looking to see whether or not you would stop me from dispelling vital information about the base and you passed with flying colors!"

"Are you sure that-"

"Well we've wasted enough time already so let's move!" Kris took off without them and left the rest of them confused.

"A-Alright you five!" The two guards pointed their spears at them and motioned for them to walk ahead. Lexie leaned in to his ear and whispered,

"You know you should really consider joining the force if we get out of here."

"Didn't I already say that I wasn't going to?"

"What you did back there was pretty good. Just think about it."

"You two stop talking!" Why was she so persistent with the offer? Didn't she hate his guts for being a criminal? They walked through the resistance base and Justin noticed that the place was hidden by the mountains around them. They came to a cobblestone bridge that passed over the flowing mountain stream. "Walk." The guards poked them in the back with the butt of their spears for emphasis.

They walked over the bridge and came to a pathway that lead to what must've been the great hall. It was like an ancient warlord's palace. It was sitting on top of a small hill and stretched into the sky. It was lavish on the outside and a sight to behold. As they walked toward it, Justin saw the petals of cherry blossom trees fly by.

"Nice place." Carlos said as his eyes darted around to take in the natural beauty of the scenery. They entered the hall and from the sliding door up ahead, Justin heard the sounds of arguing. The Guards outside the door opened them an allowed them in. The room they entered was large. The ceiling was held up by enormous wooden pillars and on the polished hardwood floor were men all seated around in two rows a few feet away from each other.

"Follow us." Their two escorts/prison guards lead them to the side of the room where they would be unnoticeable. "You are to remain quiet until your time to speak comes." They sat down and Justin noticed that everyone else was resting on their knees in the traditional Japanese style of sitting. These men had to be politicians or high ranking generals. At the front of the room, there was a long stretch of green carpentry and a row of mats for individual people.

"Excuse me?" Justin asked one of the guards.

"What is it?"

"What is that stretch of green there for?"

"Oh, that. That's where the leader of the resistance and the retainers sit."

"Retainers?"

"They're the leader's personal and most trusted advisors and friends." Amid their conversation, Justin picked up on what the groups of men were saying.

"I will have none of this lunacy! The plan will fail I know it will!"

"You're not in any position to say that Katashi! You know nothing of battle! Leave this matter to the generals." The man named Katashi was in a nobleman's clothes and had his black hair tied in a neat braid. His thin mustache gave him an air of arrogance.

"How can you be so calm about this? The Crusade will slaughter us if we attack them!"

"Make way for the leader and the retainers!" The guards from outside shouted. The room and the bickering men fell silent. So this was it… they were finally going to meet the resistance leader.

"We're finally going to see him…" Carlos muttered under his breath. "I wonder what he's like."

"Probably old and well respected by his troops. That's usually how it goes." The door opened and Justin stared intently at the entrance for the arrival of the leader. In walked in a girl that had to be the same age as Justin. She wore a red kimono and a long white obi, a traditional Japanese overcoat. Her mid-back length blonde hair flowed behind her as several others followed behind her.

"T-That's the resistance leader?" Justin said with surprise.

"She's a chick!" Carlos said with wide-eyes.

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Lexie muttered. The two guards quieted them as the leader of the resistance and her retainers took their seats.

"Bring in the accused." She ordered. Her voice was filled with dignity and commanded attention. From an outer door, two guards brought in a ragged looking Cy. They had his hands bound and placed him in the center of the meeting. "Cy Bellum. You were found shirking your duties in the Flocessy War Camp. Explain yourself."

"Is Cy really going to get punished?" Minako leaned in and asked him. "He's the reason we're all still alive."

"I don't know what's going to happen." Cy straightened himself up and spoke,

"I fought the Plasma Crusade milady! That's what I was ordered to do!"

"Yes it was, but at Flocessy! Not Castelia! You went off on your own and abandoned your post. What does the court say?" There was murmuring amongst the men and finally one of them spoke.

"I say he should be severely punished for this act!" The man who was yelling earlier, Katashi, rose and yelled. To Justin's surprise, no one stood up to defend him.

"What do you suggest Katashi?" The leader of the resistance asked casually.

"I suggest he is flogged for his insubordination." Justin tensed at the word. He wanted to see him whipped?

"A reasonable suggestion for the act of disobeying direct orders. Does anyone else have anything else they want to say?" No one seemed to have any intention of talking. Justin wanted to do something… "No one? Very well then. The punishment will be fifteen lashes to be done immedia-"

"Wait!" He yelled impulsively. All eyes were on him and he instantly regretted speaking out.

"Who was that?" She asked without seeming annoyed. "Bring him up here." One of the guards motioned for him to stand and he did forebodingly. He couldn't help it. Cy was the reason all of them were still alive, he had to defend him no matter what happened to him. He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room in front of Cy. "Well don't just stand there. Please sit." Justin looked into her eyes. They were golden and bright. "So you are one of the five Kage and Kris captured… why did you speak out of turn?"

"I-I want to defend Cy!"

"He has been charged with abandoning his duties and let his emotions get the better of him. He has disgraced himself greatly."

"He was trying to save his sister Sera! He felt that she was in trouble so he went to save her! What's dishonorable about that?" There were appalled gasps from around him.

"You best choose your words carefully boy. Watch your tongue." One of the older men told him. "That is the leader of the resistance! The last hope of the Unova Region, so show some respect!"

"Please, please. Let him speak."

"Milady?" She shot him a look and the man backed off.

"Please continue." Justin was a little offset by what just transpired, but continued with his reasoning anyways.

"Think about it. Wouldn't you go and rescue your loved ones no matter the cost to yourself? Cy and Sera… they only have each other left as family… why would you do something like that to someone who simply wanted to protect what's dear to them? Isn't that what you're all fighting for?" There were murmurs between the council but the leader silenced them.

"I understand your reasoning, but there are customs we follow. Such a thing, no matter how noble, has to be punished. It has been that way for centuries." Justin felt his anger rising.

"You're telling me that people have had to put up with that crap for hundreds of years? Pity them…"

"What're you trying to say?" She didn't sound the least bit phased by his rudeness.

"I'm saying that you're customs are a load of shit!" There was uproar from the people in the room and one of the leader's retainers, a girl with long dark violet hair and matching eyes and a sky blue kimono, put her hand on her sword.

"Silence!" The room fell quiet at her voice and she looked at Justin.

"Your name. What is it?" The random question caught him off guard.

"Justin… Justin Evoran." She stared at him for a long while and then looked to Cy.

"Cy!" The green-haired warrior looked up. Even when he was put into such a position, he still looked dignified. "You are to be demoted and suspended from duty until further notice. That will be your punishment. Understand?"

"Yes, milady!" Cy bowed and rose up without looking the least bit worried, his expression neutral and unreadable.

"Are there any objections to this decision?"

"I vehemently protest this milady!" Katashi rose once again. "You surely aren't going to let some outsider sway my decision are you?"

"Katashi, he brings up a good point. If I were to flog him for protecting what's dear to him, then we would all have to be flogged wouldn't we? We're fighting for independence from the Plasma Crusade, our old lives! That is what we want the most."

"But-"

"Enough! My word is final. This meeting is adjourned." The men all progressively left while some guards walked Cy out. His friend mouthed thank you and the doors closed. Justin was about to go back with everyone else. "Where do you think you're going? Bring the rest of them here you two."

"Yes milady!" The two guards shepherded the rest of Justin's friends to where he was sitting in the middle. "You may leave now." Their guards left and now the five of them were left alone with the resistance leader and her retainers.

She had four retainers. Out of the four, there was one male. The male was youthful and had his blue hair in a neat samurai tail. He had piercing yellow eyes that seemed to look through everything and had electric blue formal robes. The first of the three females was the girl with violet hair and eyes and the sky blue robes. She looked at him with disgust. The next of the three girls had sea-green eyes and black hair that was pinned into a bun with chopsticks and she wore robes of red and blue. She looked upon them with slight interest. The final girl had lush brown hair that was kept in a ponytail and sapphire blue eyes. Her expression was neutral, but Justin noticed that her hand close to her sword. Unlike the other retainers, she wore silver armor that covered her chest, shoulders, forearms, and lower legs.

"I have yet to formally introduce myself. I am Hikari Fujimoto, the leader of the resistance and these are my retainers."

"I am Wairudo Inazuma, a general of the resistance movement." The man said calmly. Next was the girl who was glaring at Justin.

"I am Kiyomi Ishikawa. Strategist." She said bluntly and with distaste. What was her problem?

"Good morning! I am Satoko Shimizu. I am an advisor to milady." She said with a smile.

"Greetings, my name is Chiyoko Saito. I also serve as a general for the resistance." Everyone else introduced themselves and Hikari sighed.

"How did you all get involved in this mess of a war? Are you travelers? Refugees?"

"None of those." Justin answered.

"Then why were you traveling with Cy?"

"He promised us somewhere safe to stay until we could find a way home." Carlos replied.

"And by safe, I assume he meant the resistance base..." Hikari held her chin in thought. You mentioned going back home. Where do you all come from originally?"

"I-I'm from Flocessy Town." Minako said timidly.

"What of you four?" All of them refrained from answering. If they old them where they were from, they would instantly write them off as crazy.

"You won't answer? Why do you hide where you're from? Your friend disrespected me and everyone and our way of life earlier so I expect an answer." So that's why she let him get away with his rudeness earlier. She wanted to use it as leverage against him to get answers.

"You won't believe us if we told you…" Carlos began.

"Try me." Hikari said casually. She was trying to get into their heads, but Justin figured that telling them wouldn't hurt.

"Fine… I'll tell you. We're from a place called Black City." Hikari and her retainers all raised their eyebrows.

"Black City? I have never heard of such a place before." Satoko said

"Well that's cause it doesn't exist… at least not in your world." Silence hung in the room until the violet haired girl named Kiyomi started to chuckle. Her chuckle grew to full blown laughter eventually. Justin smirked and looked at them with the "I-told-you-so" look. Kiyomi recovered from her laugh attack and began to speak.

"Do you honestly think that we're going to believe that? Do you think that we're stupid?"

"I admit that this is quite the absurd theory…" Satoko added.

"Whether you think we're lying or not, that's the truth." Elesa said with finality.

"They're lying obviously!" Kiyomi said trying to hold her laughter back.

"Wouldn't that explain the strange clothes in their bags?" Satoko said. "I have never seen such material or style, not even from the Crusade."

"That is something to take into consideration… however, clothing isn't enough."

"Then what about this." Justin unstrapped his Xtransceiver and held it up for them to see.

"Throw that over here if you would." Justin lightly tossed the old piece of tech to Hikari and the retainers gathered around to look at it.

"W-What is this?" Chiyoko said, looking at the screen.

"We use it in our world to communicate. We can see each other any time." Elesa explained.

"This is definitely not anything I've ever seen before…" Kiyomi admitted.

"What do you think now? Do you think we should believe them?" Hikari asked.

"Absolutely not milady! There may be some proof, but unless they can fully convince us that they are from a different world, then I say we lock them up!"

That's a little extreme Kiyomi. How about we keep them in the old soldier's barracks for the time being? They can help us while they stay here." Satoko suggested.

"We could use some extra hands… okay then. You five are to help with work around the base when needed and if you can find definitive proof that you're from the future then we will see what we'll do."

"Wait, what about Minako? She's from your world so give her somewhere nice to stay at least." Justin asked. If anyone deserved somewhere comfortable to stay the most, it was Minako.

"True… very well then consider your request granted. She will be allowed to live within the Grand Hall with me and my retainers for the time being."

"Justin?" She said worriedly.

"Go ahead. I promised you'd be able to live comfortably."

"You four will be taken to the old soldier's barracks by Kiyomi."

"Yes milady!" Kiyomi hurried in front of them and motioned for them to follow. Justin was glad to breathe fresh air once again. He felt so pressured in that room. Hikari… he would never have guessed the resistance leader was a girl, but she handled herself well. Justin could see through most people, but Hikari was unreadable. Kiyomi lead them to a shack in nice condition. "This is for you girls."

"Really?" Elesa exclaimed. "We get this whole thing?" Kiyomi nodded and opened the doors for them.

"Make yourself at home." She closed the door once Lexie and Elesa were inside and turned to look at them. She threw them nasty looks, but Justin felt that the brunt of her dislike was aimed at him. "Follow me." She said harshly.

"What's her problem?" Carlos whispered.

"You tell me." They followed her through the various shacks. The shack that Elesa and Lexie got was rather nice and Justin wouldn't complain if they got the shacks they were in when they woke up.

"Here is your shack…" She pointed to a beautiful new shack and Justin and Carlos looked at it in splendor.

"Wow! We get this nice one?" Carlos asked with incredulity. "I thought you were going to give us some ratty one cause it seemed like you hate us, but you're really nice actually!"

"Which one are you looking at? I was pointing to the one behind it." The two of them peered behind the lavish shack and Justin's jaw dropped as well as his hopes. The shack, if it could be called that, had its canvas windows torn. The wood was rotting, especially at the base. They walked closer and Justin opened the door cautiously. Huge cobwebs lined the walls and a good three inches of dust was consolidated on the floor. He's seen better places to sleep in the sewers.

"W-W-What is this?" Justin said with disgust.

"Your new home of course." Kiyomi said with smug satisfaction.

"Grr… I take back what I said about you being nice!" Carlos looked with horror at their new living environment. "Look at this place! I've never seen dust bunnies that huge before!" Justin turned angrily at Kiyomi.

"What's the big idea here? Why did you give us this place?" She turned her head away snobbishly and smiled.

"I just thought that the living conditions suited the people who were going to live in it."

"What did I ever do to you?" Justin demanded.

"You know what you did! Insulting our customs and milady like that… beastly behavior from a brutish oaf!"

"Why you…" Justin felt like strangling the life out of her.

"Besides this was the only shack left in this quarter. Have fun!" Kiyomi began to leave, but Justin called back to her.

"Can't you send someone to fix this?"

"Should've thought about that before you opened that big mouth of yours. Oh and one more thing! They say someone died in there and that his ghost haunts the insides, waiting for wayfarers to sleep so his ghost can devour their souls! But they're just rumors so don't worry too much about them." She left quickly so Justin couldn't stop her. Someone died in there? Bunch of rubbish. Justin wasn't scared of things like that.

"Ah, well. We have to make due then Carlos… Carlos?" His friend was shaking slightly. "You okay buddy?"

"Didn't you hear her? SOMEONE FRICKIN' DIED IN THERE MAN!"

"You don't honestly believe that do you?"

"What me? Of course not!"

"**Liar**" Justin thought. "Whatever man, let's just get this place somewhat livable"

"Yeah, but I do have one concern…"

"And that would be?"

"HOW COME I HAVE TO BE IN HERE? I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING DISRESPECTFUL!" Justin face palmed. Great. Carlos was superstitious, they were under suspicion by the resistance, and Justin had someone out to get him. Not only that, Cy was in trouble and Sera… he knew nothing about Sera's condition yet. It may not be paradise, but it was safe and that was what mattered now. No more knights chasing them, perverted city lords holding Elesa hostage… just safety… for now…

**Chapter is done and sorry it was updated at like midnight. I started late so that's my fault, but hopefully it was worth it! They're finally in the resistance base, but the trouble is just starting! Just so you know, I won't be updating this next week because I'll be on vacation, but I'll see you guys later and hopefully I have more ideas when I get back! Also, the deadline for OC submissions will be four chapters from now so submit if you haven't already! That's all for me!**

** -N-Black, Out**


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 16: The Rift **

Justin was frantically trying to gather his things whilst trying to wake up Carlos. Carlos said that he wasn't going to get any kind of sleep after that story Kiyomi told them about the guy who died in the cabin, but he was snoring happily at the moment. Justin on the other hand didn't sleep a wink. He was preoccupied with cleaning the cabin up as best he could. Despite working the entire night, he barely got the place half decent. It didn't help that there was also drums sounding to wake everyone up and he didn't want to see how the resistance handled tardiness.

"Carlos get up!" Justin threw Carlos's jacket at his face hoping to wake him up.

"Huh?" His friend answered lazily.

"Hurry and put your jacket on so that we can get out of here!" Justin found their belongings on the doorstep this morning while he attempted to hack the cobwebs from the doorway. Justin thought he caught a glimpse of what made the webs, but didn't want to stick around and find out what. Justin put on his jacket and dragged Carlos out and sure enough, there were people walking out of their shacks hurriedly to the sound of the drums.

"Where are we going to go?" Carlos asked.

"I don't know lets just follow them." Justin made sure to stay behind everyone else so they didn't attract any attention. It was easy considering Carlos was sleepwalking half the time. After a few minutes, Justin remembered the path from yesterday so he guessed they were gong to stop in front of the Grand Hall. He caught sight of Lexie and Elesa, but lost them in the crowd of people. Justin got separated from Carlos as more and more people came and was eventually squished in between several gruff looking men.

All was quiet for a few moments and then the drums sounded once again. It was deep rumbling sound like thunder. They played a slow methodic rhythm and from the second floor of the great castle, Hikari and her retainers appeared. Her golden hair was easily visible amongst her retainers.

"My brothers and sisters! Today is a new day and the chance to strike back against our oppressors is within our grasp. The next few weeks will be critical for the liberation of our country so it is required and expected that everyone do their best to further aid our cause. Go now! Begin the day and let us push for our ideals!" Hikari's final words dispersed the crowd, but no one looked like they were motivated to fight. In fact, some had spiteful looks on their faces.

Justin was swept along with the flow of people, but managed to get out and relax by a shady spot underneath a tree. What were they supposed to do? They were safe for the time being, but as long as the resistance is watching them, they can't do anything without being marked suspicious. His mind turned to Sera and her wound. He had no news of her current state and it troubled him. Justin pictured Cy was probably banging his head against a wall right now as well. Hopefully Hikari would let him in to see her or he could just sneak in.

"Nice place to relax isn't it?" Justin's muscles tensed at the sudden voice and he looked up to see a girl looking at him with a friendly smile. She was hanging upside down from the branch so her long black hair looked like a waterfall. The girl was wearing baggy light brown pants and a sleeveless tunic of the same color.

"Yeah I guess so..."

"So you're one of the people who supposedly came from a different world right?"

"Yeah..." How could she speak to him like this? Shouldn't all the blood be rushing to her head by now?"

"I heard that there were two guys so where's the other one?" She asked as she looked around for someone else.

"Listen, uh, I'm not sure who you are, but..."

"Oh! How rude of me. I'm Rei and you are?"

"Er, Justin."

"That's such an exotic name! Tell me more about it." She hopped off of the tree and landed in front of him. "Do you have any idea what it means? I know that my name means lovely and I think it's really fitting don't you?" With every sentence, she got closer and closer to him.

"That's great and all but-"

"People think I'm kind of a flirt too, but a girl is only young once so I have to make the most of it. Not to mention that all the guys here are so vulgar! All they want is a one night kind of deal, but I'm more interested in a long lasting relationship."

"I don't think that we're on the same page."

"That's enough Rei." Justin recognized the voice of Kage and the ninja emerged from the shadows.

"Uh-oh..." Rei said quietly. "Hi Kage! I was just about to deliver the message to him!"

"I heard everything Rei. Go back with the others. I'll deal with you later."

"Boo! Don't be so mean Kage! A girl is only-"

"Young once, yes, yes, yes now go." Rei still looked like she was going to be defiant, but she sighed and hopped back into the tree.

"Alright I'll go... oh, and Justin."

"Yes?" Justin replied with trepidation.

"Introduce me to your other friends sometime and if you see me around... don't be a stranger." Rei said slyly with a wink and disappeared into the trees.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Justin asked himself.

"That girl... sometimes Kris can be a little wild, but this one..." The ninja rubbed his temples as if he had a headache and looked at Justin.

"You mentioned something about a message?"

"Indeed. Milady Hikari has summoned you to meet with her privately."

"The leader? Why me?"

"I do not know why, but it would be most unwise to ignore her summons. I must leave now, but before I leave let me give you a warning. Rei will come after you again so I suggest you warn your friend Carlos as well."

"She's just a flirty girl. Nothing to worry about."

"We'll see... there's nothing scarier than a devoted woman, especially when they're out to get you." Kage melded with the shadows and left Justin alone with a daunting feeling on him. So now he had two girls out to get him. One hates his guts for reasons unknown and the other is a flirtatious ninja. Things just kept getting better and better.

Seeing no other alternatives, Justin came out of the shade and walked toward the Grand Hall. What did Hikari want with him now? The guards at the front blocked his entry and Justin was sure that they wouldn't believe him if he said that Hikari sent for him.

"Justin, correct?" From behind the two guards Satoko emerged. Her black hair still kept into a bun by chopsticks. "Milady is waiting for you." The guards stepped aside and Justin walked nervously into the Hall. "This way." Justin followed Satoko up the staircase for several floors.

"May I ask a question?" Justin said cautiously.

"Of course." Satoko said without turning around.

"What does Hikari want with me anyways?"

"I do not know. She asked to speak with you privately. Do your best to be respectful to her at all times. Milady let you off easy for insulting our way of life yesterday, but you may find yourself in a more perilous position should you offend her again." They reached the upper most part of the castle and Justin was beat by the time they reached the door. "Enter." Satoko motioned for him to move. She didn't seem to be the slightest bit winded.

Justin walked into the doorway and Satoko slid the door closed. He walked carefully in the room as he took note of the surroundings. There were maps of the region that had several marks made in them, numerous books and pieces of parchment lined the shelves, and a case that held an old looking sword was up above the exit to the balcony.

"Are you finished sightseeing?" Justin whipped his head around to see Hikari leaning against the wall. She was dressed entirely different from what she wore yesterday. Her hair was put in a ponytail and she wore a crimson kimono. She seemed so much more relaxed than yesterday. "Take a seat." She pointed to a cushion in the middle of the room and so he sat on his knees like yesterday. Hikari slumped down a few feet away from him in a much less formal manner.

"So why did you-"

"Be quiet." Her bluntness was surprising. It was like she was a totally different person now. "Who do you think you are?" Justin remained silent. He didn't have an answer for her. "Don't know? I'll tell you who you are. You're a pebble falling into the ocean."

"A pebble?"

"You came here seeking protection, safety, comfort, but what do you do to the ones who offer you these luxuries? You spit in their faces and insult them. You're just a small rock trying to make a big impact into something larger than you. I took a risk letting Cy off easy yesterday and since you're the one who caused this unneeded tension, you're going to pay me back." Tension? What kind of tension.

"What do you mean unneeded tension?"

"You can see it, feel it even! There's a rift growing within us and if I can't stop it then our whole cause is doomed." Justin thought back to this morning and the looks of spite he saw on the some the people's faces.

"Some people don't think you're fit to lead... isn't that right?" Hikari's expression changed to surprise when he answered.

"You know?"

"It isn't hard to not to notice. The lack of morale, the scorning looks... some people obviously think that you're not suited to lead them and I would say that the biggest reason why they don't want you leading them is because you're a girl."

"So you're not as impetuous as I first thought after all." Hikari sat upright now and looked at the floor worriedly. "You speak the truth. There are several who think that there is one ideal leader. I have tried to win their trust, but now they've become restless. If there's a power struggle, then this war is already over. I can't let something like that happen and yesterday's incident with Cy only worsened it. Since it's now partially your fault, I want you to help me fix this.

"My fault?" Justin said with incredulity.

"Yes it's partially your fault now! If you hadn't interfered yesterday, things would've been stable."

"But you're the one who wanted me to talk!"

"T-True..."

"You didn't want to see Cy get punished that way did you? That's why you let me speak right?"

"Cy and Sera... they've done so much for us... to have him punished like that when his sister is injured already... I couldn't sleep at night with that kind of guilt on my conscious. As leader of the resistance, I'm expected to follow tradition to the letter, but isn't there room for change?" Being bound by such a heavy burden like that... Justin never knew the feeling of being tied down. He was always free to do as he wished.

"You and your friends..." Hikari continued. "I think that your arrival means something."

"You believe that we're from a different world now?"

"No, but my mind is still open. That being said, you are all outsiders and are therefore naturally distrusted. If the rest of the resistance knew of your working for me then there will no doubt be a coup."

"Whoa, wait! I never agreed to help you."

"It's not up for discussion. You worsened the situation, now you're going to patch things up." Justin wanted to continue to fight for his own choices, but Satoko's advice was still fresh in his mind. "Before you can even work with me, you need to learn about the base itself so I've arranged for someone to give you a tour and while the four of you are staying here, you'll be expected to work in some way. I can't afford to have four people doing nothing." Great. Now he was locked into a job he didn't want and he was forced to work. "Only my retainers and I know of this arrangement for the time being so keep your mouth shut or else!"

"You mentioned a tour guide?"

"Yes, they should be here by now." There was knock on the door as she finished talking. "Come in!" The door slid open and a certain violet haired girl walked in.

"Yes Milady! Who shall I be escorting...?" Kiyomi asked as she looked at Justin., her expression turning to disbelief.

"Ah Kiyomi! Justin will be helping me with patching up the split in our forces so show him around so he knows where everything is. There won't be any problems right?"

"N-None at all milady..."

"Good! Off you go then Justin!" Hikari ushered him outside and he stood uncomfortably close to Kiyomi. He could feel the hate radiating off of her. What did he do to piss her off?

"Grrr..." Kiyomi growled menacingly at him. "Come on" She spat. "Let's get this over with as fast as we can!"

** Oh My Arceus I'm so sorry the update is late, but I was busy looking after my little cousin yesterday so I hope that you guys are okay with it being a tad late. Besides that, Justin has just been forced to help reunite the forces by Hikari and is put on the tour of hell with Kiyomi. What other kinds of people dwell in the base and will Justin get out of the tour in one piece? Check in next Thursday to find out!**

** -N-Black, Out**


	19. Chapter 18

**N-Black is back with a new chapter of Legacy! Justin has been forced into assisting Hikari Fujimoto, the leader of the resistance, in stopping a potential power struggle within their ranks. However Justin's lack of experience with things like this may become a potential obstacle. How will the tour led by Kiyomi, a girl who seemingly loathes Justin, unfold?**

** Chapter 18: A House Divided Cannot Stand**

"Just be quiet and follow me and there won't be any trouble, got it?" That was all Kiyomi said since they left the Grand Hall. She explained nothing to him so he relied on observing what was going on. They passed through a farm area where vegetables were starting to grow. The people were working so hard and as soon as Justin thought of the farm, memories of his first day flooded into his mind. The raging fire and the clang of the swords…

"Hey stop spacing out!" Kiyomi wiped away the memories with her voice. "Keep moving. I have better things to do than lead you around all over the place." Kiyomi walked ahead without Justin. He took one last glance at the farm and hurried to catch up with his malicious tour guide.

"What's this place?" Justin asked. They walked into a thicket of bushes and into a bamboo grove.

"Didn't I say to be quiet?" Justin's annoyance was peaking. What was wrong with her attitude?

"You're supposed to be my tour guide. I can't figure out everything by looking at it!"

"Listen… I'm only doing this because Milady Hikari gave me this order, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it."

"Well Hikari said I had to help since it's now partially my fault and I can't do anything if you don't explain where we are!"

"It's Milady Hikari! Someone as boorish as you doesn't deserve to be so informal with her!" They were in each other's faces now as the argument escalated.

"She didn't have a problem with me calling her that earlier!"

"That's because Milady is tolerant enough to deal with someone as rude as you!" The two of them squabbled, but Justin stopped when he heard a tree above them rustle.

"Justin!" He was tackled to the ground by the girl he met earlier named Rei. "So you came to visit me after all?"

"W-Well not intentionally…" Justin was put into an uncomfortable position at the moment and he spotted Kiyomi grinning to herself at the sight before her.

"Oh ho ho! Isn't this just a fitting picture!" Rei turned and looked angrily at Kiyomi.

"Oh it's you…"

"Oh no don't mind me! You two seem just perfect for each other! Both of you are out of control so it's a perfect match! He doesn't know when to stop talking and you don't know when to stop flirting!"

"And you don't know when to stop being a bossy little priss!" Rei got up and the two of them started to argue now.

"You don't scare me you perverted ninja!"

"Same here you arrogant tightwad!" They were really going to go at it if someone didn't stop it.

"Uh, girls?"

"Stay out of this!" They both said.

"What're you even doing out here with him Kiyomi?"

"Milady Hikari asked me to perform this duty!"

"Always want to be the leader's little pet don't you?"

"At least I know how to perform my duties unlike you who slacks off on her training to goof off!"

"Oh boy…" Justin said. This was going to turn into a full blown catfight. If only Carlos were here to see this…

"Enough Rei!" Justin heard Kage's voice and in an instant he was holding Rei up by the collar of her uniform.

"Put me down Kage! This witch is going to pay!" Kiyomi blew a raspberry at Rei and smiled victoriously.

"That's what you get for being such a nympho ninja!" That seemed to light a fuse

"Why you…you… stuck-up, arrogant, celibate, flat-chested bitch! I'll-" Kage muffled her before she could say anything more.

"I apologize on behalf of Rei's behavior. She'll be punished accordingly." Kage said calmly.

"Thank you Kage." The ninja disappeared while restraining the struggling Rei. "That damn nymphomaniac…"

"What was that part about celibacy and being flat-chested?"

"You shut up!" Justin raised his arms in a gesture of surrender as she snapped at him. "Let's just go…" She walked off ahead of him again mumbling to herself. Justin may have just found a weak point on her. Justin caught up to Kiyomi and heard the faint sound of Pokémon crying in the distance.

"Are those Pokémon up ahead?" Kiyomi nodded and the sounds got louder. Justin looked on to see numerous different Pokémon all working together with the different people. Justin recognized Tauros and Miltank, but the others were all new to him. He heard a neigh and saw that several people were riding on Rapidash. That reminded Justin to find out what happened to their steeds. It would have to wait until he had some spare time however.

"Justin? Is that you?" Justin looked in the direction of the voice and saw Cy though he was dressed in a plain work tunic and trousers.

"Cy! How are you?"

"Fine thanks to what you did yesterday."

"Oh right that… what're they making you do?"

"Physical labor for now. It's all I can do to help the war effort at the moment. I won't be able to fight unless I get permission from my commander now."

"How's Sera?" Cy remained silent for a few seconds then sighed.

"She's okay now. The wound wasn't severe, but the shock of it all has kept her unconscious for the most part. I've been checking in on her every time I have a spare second. It's my fault that she got hurt… I wasn't strong enough."

"You are Cy. You can't blame all this on yourself. The important thing is that she's safe now right?" Cy nodded, but still didn't look convinced. He couldn't beat himself up about it forever.

"Are you done yet?" Kiyomi grumbled. "This is already taking longer than I want it to." She paused when Justin heard yelling from up ahead. "Not again…" She said with disdain.

"What's going on?"

"Sounds like another fight is about to break out." Cy said. Justin could see the displeasure on his face.

"Does this have to do with the whole in-fighting thing?"

"Come on!" Kiyomi said as Justin and Cy followed her. They ran through the dirt road to scene of the commotion. It was a clearing full of practice dummies with two large groups facing each other shouting and yelling loudly. "These fools again."

"Cy could you explain what's going on?"

"Lately there have been uprisings from the troops as to who should lead the resistance. They've escalated from yelling to brawling in broad daylight. There's a few clans who have come to fight for the resistance who believe their clan head should be leading and right now you're looking at the two biggest clans."

"Kiyomi aren't you going to stop them?" Justin exclaimed, surprised at her lack of action.

"They won't listen to me! Men are too stubborn!"

"You're just going to sit around and do nothing?"

"I'd like to see you try and solve this issue with your loudmouth!"

"Masazuka Takeda! Show yourself!" A man came out of the group from the left. He had multiple scars on his face and his bald head gleamed in the sun. His armor was scatched and dented in several places as well. He held a cocky smile and his gravelly voice made it a little hard to understand him. "Face me coward or I will take over your clan!" The man drew his sword and pointed it to the opposing group of people. There was silence for a good while and the scarred man waited without doing anything.

"Hisao Ishikawa. Known as Hisao the Undying. A fitting moniker indeed." There was nervous chatter from both sides, but the man named Hisao remained cool. The voice came from the other group and out of the mass of people came a boy who looked to be a few years older than Justin. He kept his long black hair in a samurai tail and wore loose black hakama robes. His eyes were a pale green and he kept a hand rested on the hilt of the sword strung at his hip.

"So you've showed yourself Takeda…"

"I do not back down from challenges Ishikawa, no matter who gives them. You're known for your incredible endurance and high pain tolerance. The injuries you've received would've killed any normal man instantly. Your enemies feared you and labeled you a monster, Hisao the Undying. Hisao Ishikawa…" Takeda said coolly. "You've fought mercenaries, warlords, and the Plasma Crusade, but you shall fall this day by my hand!"

"That remains to be seen boy!" Hisao said with a smile. "It will be me who leads the resistance to victory against these invaders, not some child!" Masazuka drew his sword and the two prepared to fight.

"Can't we do something to stop this?" Justin asked desperately.

"No. It is the old way to let these challenges be settled by the fighters. Any outside interference would be humiliating for both sides."

"**Again with this stupid tradition?**" Justin made sure to think and not speak knowing he might set off Kiyomi. Masazuka and Hiaso closed in on each other, slowly circling each other. Hisao made the first move and swiped downwards ferociously. The strike was savage, but Masazuka evaded the blow. Hisao's blade stopped an inch over the ground. "**What control…**" Hisao recovered his balance near instantly and kept his guard up.

Masazuka made no moves yet and it seemed he was waiting to see what Hisao would do next. Hisao made a quick horizontal slash and Masazuka blocked it. Hisao thrusted his sword to go for a stab while Masazuka was still blocking. Masazuka slid to the left and the strike missed by inches. Hisao continued his pressure with repeated strikes and stabs to try and find an opening. Masazuka parried a strike and put the tip of his sword at Hisao's throat.

"It's over…" Justin said with relief.

"No… things have just started." Cy was watching avidly as was Kiyomi. Justin looked back down to see Masazuka lower his sword and they took their positions once again.

"He had him beat! Why did he lower his sword?" Justin asked.

"Consider that first part a warm up. This where the real fight begins." Cy's voice was full of anticipation as top what would happen. Masazuka and Hisao squared up once again and Hisao once again made the first move. Each of his blows were more precise than before and it seemed Masazuka was having difficulty finding any kind of opening in his opponents offense.

Hisao feinted to the right and nearly caught Masazuka's arm with the edge of his blade when he struck. Masazuka quickly stepped in and cut through Hisao's armor. The warrior didn't falter from the wound however and continued to slash. The wound was close to his shoulder and if it got any closer, Justin was sure that he would've lost the ability to use his arm. The wound seemed to put Hisao into some kind of bloodlust as each of his strikes became more savage than the next.

Masazuka was being pushed back from the strikes and stumbled from the next blow. Hisao rushed to where he fell and brought his sword down. Masazuka rolled out of the way and made a quick cut to Hisao's left calf. His adeversary still stood up, but now as he approached Masazuka, he wobbled. Masazuka's plan was to gradually wear down Hisao so he couldn't fight. Regualr wounds seemed to have no effect on his physical condition unless they hampered his movement.

The two crossed blades and continued to fight against each other with neither side seeming to gain the advantage. Both their groups started to cheer on their respective leader. They chanted their names loudly and Justin felt himself getting drawn into the fight. Hisao stepped forward on his bad leg and stumbled for a second. Masazuka saw the opening and capitalized on it. He delivered another swift strike to Hisao's other leg and the warrior fell to his knees. Before Hisao could attack, Masazuka knocked the sword from his hands and pressed the point of his sword against Hisao's throat.

"Heh heh… You got me good kid… you kept your head on when I attacked you. Go on, my life is in your hands. Do as you wish…" Hisao said with a grin. Masazuka remained paused while the crowd settled.

"Hmph." He pulled he sword away from Hisao's throat and sheathed it. "We need warriors like you Hisao. Once I'm in charge we'll crush the Plasmas together. Recover from your injuries. Leave the resistance to me."

"Kid!" Hisao called back to Masazuka before he could leave. "If you need my help or my clan's assistance… don't hesitate to ask." The young man said nothing and walked through his clansmen as they cheered him on.

"He's getting bolder everyday… Masazuka…" Kiyomi said under her breath.

"So this is what's going on? All these clans are fighting each other and potentially dying just to see their clan head become the leader? This looks completely out of control!"

"Do you still want to help Milady Hikari know that you know what you're going to have to put down? Are you prepared for such a burdening task?"

"I want to help… I can't sit around and do nothing!"

"We don't need your help!" She said sharply. "If you stay out of these affairs it'll be better for all of us! We don't need some loudmouth outsider and his friends getting involved in this war and ruining everything for us so just stay out of the way!" Kiyomi walked off in the other direction and left Justin alone with Cy.

"What did I do?"

"You're still not welcome here Justin… the people of this land have every right to be worried about outsiders. Milady Hikari may want your help but if anyone discovers that you're involved, then this war is as good as over…" Justin clenched his fist in anger. Why did Hikari give him such a task if she knew that the risks outweighed the benefits? This wasn't their fight! He just wanted to go home with everyone. Maybe Kiyomi's right… maybe it is better if they just stay out of their way…

**So we see what's been happening with the soldiers and Justin realizes the true gravity of the situation Hikari has placed him in. Will he keep continue to aid Hikari or will he find a way home with his friends instead? Learn more next week on Wednesday! **

** -N-Black, Out**


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: The Choice**

Night was falling on the base and Justin was left with more questions than he had answers. He didn't know what to do anymore. Trying to stop such a large group from overthrowing Hikari seemed nearly impossible to avoid. Now that he had found everyone and they were safe, the only thing that mattered was to leave. That was what he had agreed to do. Kiyomi was right. He had no business interfering with these people's lives. Getting into more trouble than he already was in was something he would like to avoid.

"Justin!" Minako's voice rang in the silent clearing he secluded himself in. "Hello?" Justin hadn't seen her this morning when Hikari was addressing them. She appeared to be outside of the clearing so Justin got up and carefully maneuvered through the plant life.

"Minako?" Justin poked his head out of the brush and the girl looked at him with surprise.

"Oh I've been looking for you everywhere! Milady Hikari has invited you and your friends over for supper."

"It's only been a day and you're calling her milady? How have you been treated? Are you eating well?" Minako chuckled slightly and smiled. "What's so funny?"

"You sound like father..." Under her smile Justin knew that she was suppressing the sadness within her. Not wanting to bring up those painful memories again, Justin said nothing back to her. Minako was doing her best to try and move on from that moment.

"Why does Hikari want us to eat with her?"

"She didn't say why, only to bring you to her." Justin figured it would be best to not keep her waiting; he was in enough trouble already. To avoid any further forced tasks, Justin followed Minako back to the Great Hall while she told him all about how she was treated. She was made a handmaiden to Hikari and while Justin considered it a form of servitude, Minako considered it an honor to serve the leader of the resistance. At least she was having a better time then they were. As long as she remained safe, he can fulfill his promise to Daichi.

Minako led him inside a different part of the Great Hall and Justin noticed how lavish it was getting. Elaborate artwork and knick knacks lined the hallway. How many rooms did this place have?

"It's just through this door." Minako opened the door and the two of them walked into a brightly lit dining room. Justin saw that Elesa and the others were already there and were standing awkwardly in the gaze of the guards. Hikari and her retainers were already seated on their cushions on the low elevated table. "I've found him milady."

"Thank you Minako. You are dismissed." Minako bowed quickly and walked out of the dining room. "You are as well." She pointed to the guards and they looked around confusedly. "That is an order." She stated just slightly more forcefully to get the point across. After some muttering amongst the guards, they left and now Justin and his friends were alone with Hikari and her retainers. The mood in the room was intense even though no one said anything. "Please sit." Justin spotted four empty cushions on the ground and before Justin could make his way to one of them; his friends secured three of them. That left the one next to Kiyomi empty.

"**I just can't catch a break can I?**" Justin cautiously sat down next to her and he could feel the burning hatred radiating from her.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I have invited you here tonight. The reason is simple... to show you that we are hospitable and are on your side." That's definitely not the atmosphere Justin was feeling at the moment. "Also I want to warn you... I'm sure you have seen it throughout your day here, but the people of Unova don't take kindly to outsiders. Heed my advice... do not make yourself into a target... I don't want to see anyone get hurt... now I'm sure you're all famished so please enjoy."

Justin looked at the spread and felt his stomach rumble. There were many different dishes to choose from and Justin couldn't spot one he wanted to try first. The only problem was that he couldn't hold the chopsticks properly and he would fumble every time he would try to grab something. Carlos was having the same issue as him and to avoid further embarrassment, they settled for the food they could eat with their hands.

Justin only managed to get two dumplings as they were getting continuously eaten, but only one remained. Justin made a grab for it, but Kiyomi pinned his hand to the table with one of her chopsticks and skewered the dumpling with the other. She ate the tasty morsel slowly and glared at Justin. Despite the amazing spread of food, Justin and Carlos were forced to watch in agony as everyone else enjoyed.

"Justin..." Elesa said quietly. When he looked at her she pointed down and Justin noticed a few dumplings sitting on a plate. He smiled and shot her a thumbs up and noticed that she had gotten Carlos a few too. He slyly ate the dumplings she gave him so that Kiyomi wouldn't notice. After everyone was finished, the retainers left and Hikari dismissed everyone except Justin.

"Let me guess... you want to know what I saw today."

"I take it you saw Masazuka then?" She said the name with distaste. Justin nodded and she sighed and fiddled with her chopsticks. "That boy is such a troublemaker... they don't even bother keeping their battles a secret anymore."

"That's obvious since you're not doing anything to intervene. If you let them do what they want with no punishment they'll just keep doing it."

"Agreed, but at the same time I can't intervene. They no longer see me as their leader, not even a comrade, only an obstacle to be removed. Masazuka Takeda... he is the one I must defeat if the resistance is ever going to push forward."

"What makes this guy so dangerous?"

"He is an accomplished warrior, but his prowess in battle does not worry me, it is the support he has rallied. Once he feels his forces are ready, he will not hesitate to attack me and today he's even gained the support of Hisao. I need more time... but there isn't enough of that either..." Justin could see Hikari trying to figure out some kind of solution, but there was little she could do in this situation. She would have to find her own way, Justin couldn't help her anyway. What mattered now was getting home safely.

"Please..." Justin was snapped out of his thoughts by Hikari's sudden word. "I have no else to help me anymore... I thought... I thought that maybe since you're from a different world you might have some knowledge to help me, but please can you at least try? You've seen the horrors the Plasma Crusade commits... all I ask is that you help me, the people of Unova!" Justin didn't know that this side of Hikari existed before.

"I-I need to think about this..." Justin left the dining room and raced out into the outside. He thought she was being selfish this entire time, but was it really him who was the selfish one?

"Justin are you okay?" Justin didn't notice that Elesa was behind him.

"Y-Yeah..."

"You don't look like it. You're shaking. What happened in there?"

"Elesa what do you think is more important? Saving the ones you care about even if it means doing the wrong thing or doing the right thing but take the risk of dying?" The question just flowed out of him and he didn't realize who he asked until afterwards.

"Well... doing the right thing is what's best, but at the cost of your own life..." Justin figured as much. No one would give up their life just to do the right thing would they? "No! Even if it means sacrificing yourself, you should always do the right thing."

"You mean that?"

"Yes. I know that's right because you did it for me all the time in Black City. You risked getting caught by the police countless times just to take where I wanted to go and even when we came here, you risked your life to save me from that brothel. You're my hero in that way." Justin didn't have any words for her. Did it really mean that much to her? "That sounds a little embarrassing when I say it like that..."

"The air here is so clean..." Justin said after he noted how Elesa was blushing. "Its nothing like the city and you can see all the stars in the sky." Justin looked at her hair and noticed it was starting to grow longer. "Your hair is getting longer Elesa."

"I know. I can't find anything to cut it with that won't completely ruin my hair."

"Fashion conscious as always, but I think you should let it grow out."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I know that you're parents want you to keep your hair short because of the clothes you wear as a model, but I think that hair is kind of like a symbol of freedom. You can cut it, style it, or grow it out however you want. Besides, I think you'd look good with long hair." She turned her head around quickly. But Justin could still see the blush on her face.

"S-Since when did you become so poetic?" Justin chuckled and took a look at the beautiful mountains and the trees and for an instant, he saw them burning. Was that what will happen if he didn't help Hikari? Would all this natural beauty be destroyed? Doing the right thing no matter what the cost... was Justin ready for that?

**That's it for this chapter guys so Justin is even more torn than before about what he should do. What will his choice be? OC registration closes on Friday next week and that will be the next update so send in those OC's! Just a side note, my birthday was yesterday so I thought I might give you guys a little fluff at the end of the chapter and another thing... I just finished Code Geass last week and I feel a story brewing... See you Friday!**

**-N-Black, Out**


	21. Chapter 20

**N-Black is back with a new chapter of Legacy for you guys and I hope you're ready for a fight! If you guys didn't know yet, ShirosakiEspada0, An avid reader of both of these stories, has made his own version of Pokémon Academy. Be awesome and check out his story! **

** Chapter 20: A Battle of Wills**

Could listening to Hikari and her retainers talk politics get any more boring? Justin wasn't too thrilled with the news he received this morning since it said he would pretty much become Hikari's little errand boy. Of course that's not what it said; it was worded much more politely.

"_Justin, you are required to attend to Milady Hikari's needs and are expected to fulfill your original task of helping closing the rift in the troops. _

_ P.S: Hikari doesn't really need your help, so I'll gladly take over for you if you so wish! _

_ -Kiyomi"_

That last part was pretty much Kiyomi's way of saying, "Piss off!" but much to Kiyomi's dislike, Justin decided to stay anyways. Partially to get under her skin, but mostly because of what Hikari would do to him. Also, his conversation with Elesa kind of pushed him towards it. Was he getting soft or was he always like this?

"Justin?" His question to himself was disrupted by Hikari. Everyone's eyes were on him and he didn't realize how much he was spacing out.

"Yes?" He said, acting like he was paying attention the entire time.

"I need you to fetch some more parchment from my room. We've run out." Justin got up lazily and sighed. Justin glanced at Kiyomi and saw that she was somewhat satisfied with his current situation, but something else stuck out at him. Did she look a little jealous? Justin was glad to get the chance to leave the suffocating room. He walked up the stairs to Hikari's room and walked into the room.

There was a lot of stuff in her room. Some of it looked like it was native to Unova. But he saw something else underneath the clutter of objects. He looked around to make sure that he was clear to examine the strange object. Under closer inspection, it looked like the object was some kind of rock tablet with engravings on it. It piqued his interest. Justin remembered that they Hikari and the others were probably waiting on him so he found a few sheets of parchment and walked out of the room. Justin hustled down the stairs as quickly as he could and made it back to the meeting.

"Ah, you're back. I thought you got lost." Hikari said. Some of the retainers laughed lightly at her little joke and Justin felt himself fluster. "The parchment please." Justin took his seat next to her and gave her the parchment. "Now with the politics aside, let's talk strategy. As you know…"

"Milady?" General Inazuma interrupted Hikari unexpectedly.

"Yes Inazuma?"

"Is it wise for our plans to reach his ears?" He pointed at Justin. "You may trust him milady, but that still doesn't change the fact that he may tell the Plasmas." Justin felt disappointed. After sitting through an hour of political talk, he finally had something to look forward to and he was going to be forced to leave.

"You're concern is duly noted Inazuma, but don't worry. Justin knows better than that… right?" Hikari said with a confident smile towards Justin.

"Y-Yes…" The other members of the council didn't get the message Justin did just now. What Hikari really meant was that he would keep quiet or die and he knew that she would do it if anyone outside of the retainers knew about his involvement with her.

"Now back to the matter at hand…" Hikari rose up and went to a map pinned on the wall and pointed to an x. "We built our base here in these mountains because of how well positioned it is. We're naturally hidden by the rocks, but have a view of the valley below. We also have the advantage of the high ground and we're close to the biggest industrial city in Unova, Drfitveil."

"We've gained valuable information from Kage and his ninjas that there will be an escorted convoy coming through the valley below us."

"What will the convoy be carrying?" General Saito asked.

"It's a shipment of gold. A large one. Kage told me that they were going to use it to bribe the Lord of Drfitveil."

"That wouldn't be good at all… the lord there is one of the few that is on our side." Satoko said with concern.

"Indeed, but if we took the gold…"

"We would have the funding to buy new weapons and supplies for the army and be able to win over a few of the other lords around Unova. Not only that, but we'll be able to deal a blow to the Crusade while we're at it!" Kiyomi said happily. "All we need is a battle plan and I've got just the one-"

"Milady!" A guard came rushing in out of breath. He looked shocked and stumbled into the room.

"What happened?" Hikari said worriedly.

"Its… Masazuka…" At the mention of the man's name, Hikari's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me that he's…" Without saying another word, she stormed out of the room with her retainers following her. Justin followed as well and came to a stop at the door. Everyone else was paused at the door as well. Justin could hear the voices of many people outside the door and could immediately picture the scene outside. Hikari opened the door to reveal the mass of warriors standing outside.

"So you've come out of the safety of your castle and decided to face your defeat with honor." Masazuka emerged from the mass of warriors with a smug expression.

"What's the matter Masazuka? Were you too afraid to come by yourself?"

"You can't mess with me Hikari. You never could. Besides, you're in no position to threaten me… are you?" He gestured to the warriors behind him and smiled. "We can do this without bloodshed Hikari. Just surrender."

"I would rather die than see you lead the resistance into the ground!"

"Then so be it…" Masazuka drew his sword, as did the men behind him.

"Inazuma!" The blue-haired general unstrapped one of his swords and gave it to Hikari. She drew the weapon from its scabbard and her eyes filled with focus.

"W-Wait you're not serious about this are you?" Justin asked. Hikari was headstrong, but not stupid.

"If I don't accept his challenge it will only make the situation worse."

"Can't you reason with him milady?" Kiyomi asked. Justin knew that Kiyomi saw the impossible odds as well.

"This sword will be my reason and I'm sure I'll be able to get to through to him once I sever his head from his body." Justin held her back by her hand.

"This is exactly what he wants! Don't play his game!"

"Unhand me!" She said with tenacity. Justin had no idea what kind of skills Hikari had, but he had a bad feeling about Masazuka right now.

"Are you going to fight Hikari or will you try and talk your way out as you always have before?" Justin had to do something before she got herself killed.

"Let go of me!" She fought her way out of his grip and charged toward Masazuka. In a moment, the two were locked in combat and Justin was being restrained by Inazuma.

"Stop! You'll only get hurt if you intervene now! This is Milady Hikari's fight." Justin watched with a sense of dread creeping on him. Hikari launched a flurry of strikes which Masazuka easily blocked. She stabbed with the blade and barely missed her mark. Masazuka tripped her while she was off balance and stabbed downward. Hikari rolled out of the way and the blade sunk into the grass. Hikari recovered and removed her obi leaving her wearing her sleeveless gi.

Every time he saw the blades hit against each other he saw himself fighting the Plasmas in the brothel, then his fight with Cy, and then the fight inside the barn. It seemed like no matter where he went, he couldn't escape the violence. There was a loud clang and the sound of a sword skittering across the ground. Justin looked in worry at the sight of Hikari on the ground with Masazuka's sword inches from her neck.

"Now is the time for change Hikari. Isn't that what your father said?" Justin saw Masazuka tense up as he was ready to deliver the fatal blow. Justin felt his feet move on their own as he yelled,

"STOP!" Masazuka's blade stopped short of his desired mark and all eyes were on him like at the hearing.

"Ah, the gaijin* who interrupted the hearing I presume. You made this all possible you know. Without you, I never would have amassed the support I have now. You've done your part in changing history my friend, now step aside, this does not concern you."

*Japanese for "outsider" or "alien"

"Like hell it doesn't!" His outburst caught Masazuka's attention as well as everyone else's.

"I hate your type gaijin. You think that you can come here and impose yourself on us… you know nothing of our ways. You made that clear when you opened your mouth at the hearing. You came here with nothing, you have nothing, and you never will."

"I can see why Hikari doesn't want you to become the leader quite plainly now. All you can think about is violence. You would destroy the resistance and everyone in it if you lead them. You're selfish ambition is going to kill everyone here including yourself. Then what will you do?" Masazuka paused and but didn't move the sword from her neck.

"What do you know?" He shouted angrily. "You haven't endured the pain my people have gone through!"

"That goes for you too. You don't know anything about me do you? But I can read you like a book. It's obvious that the only reason you want to lead is because you're selfish and not because you want to the change!"

"So what? I have proved that I'm stronger than Hikari. The soldiers believe that I will lead them to victory. I know that it's my duty- no- my destiny to stop N from destroying what we are!"

"You're deluded." Masazuka laughed and sighed deeply.

"What will you do then? Stop me?" The men behind him chuckled, but Justin remained stone-faced.

"Yes. Because it's my responsibility."

"Justin don't do this." Hikari said pleadingly.

"You know I won't listen to you right?" Justin said as he picked up the sword on the ground. Masazuka looked at him curiously and moved his sword point away from Hikari's neck.

"So what're you suggesting then gaijin?"

"If I win then you give up your attempts to take the leadership."

"And if I win then I'll take the position of leader and you will die in her place."

"Fine." Masazuka bowed and Justin did as well, albeit awkwardly. He managed to save Hikari, but he may end up dead because of it.

"_No! Even if it means sacrificing yourself, you should always do the right thing!_"

Justin remembered what Elesa said to him last night. Even though the odds were against him he couldn't run away now. Even at the cost of his own life he had to try. Despite his silent reassurance, he couldn't stop himself from shaking. Anticipation welled in him like fire. Justin took up a stance Daichi used when he last saw him fight and breathed in and out to try and calm himself. Masazuka moved first and time slowed.

Justin felt adrenaline overtake him as he met Masazuka's blade. The ferocious vibration from the contact made his bones rattle. Masazuka attempted to push him back, but Justin stood firm against his efforts. Masazuka broke the contact and swiped at his feet. Justin was quick enough to jump but the strike never followed through. Instead there was a sharp kick to his gut as he landed to the ground with a dull thud. He got back up hastily and tightened his grip on the sword.

Masazuka walked leisurely towards him with his sword resting on his shoulder. He wasn't even trying, but Justin wasn't going to be made a fool out of. With a quick movement, Masazuka slashed across Justin's midsection. Justin blocked the strike, but it knocked his sword nearly out of his hand. As he fumbled to recover it, Masazuka made another strike, this time vertical. Justin evaded the strike and went on the offensive. He came down hard with an overhead slash, which Masazuka blocked easily.

His opponent smirked and soon they were in a battle of wills. Neither of them broke contact and just remained clashing while Justin glared into his foe's eyes. Justin could feel the confidence coming off in waves and it only made him more determined to win. Justin pushed with all his strength and managed to make a small opening. He made an immediate jab to Masazuka's exposed chest. The swordsman dodged just barely and looked at Justin with surprise.

"Enough of these games!" Justin blocked the many incoming strikes from Masazuka. An unexpected slash to his left came and Justin braced himself for the searing pain of the cut, but his hands moved of their own volition. Not only did he block the strike, but he created an opening. Justin saw Daichi's slash that cut through the knight's armor like butter and took up the sturdy stance.

With one fluid motion, he swung. The strike caught Masazuka by surprise, but he managed to block it, but not till after it brought him to his knees. Masazuka roared and pushed Justin's blade away. Where did Justin get this from? He didn't fight like this when he sparred with Cy or when he fought the knights. He could see the anger starting to brew in Masazuka's eyes. Masazuka made his strike, but Justin didn't notice that he only struck with one hand. His free hand was making its way for Justin's throat. Justin caught the attempted strike with one hand blocked the sword with his blade.

"Who are you gaijin?" Masazuka said to him.

"My name is Justin, not gaijin!"

"Enough of this nonsense!" A voice from beyond the crowd of people echoed throughout the base. A space grew in the crowd as someone with hair the color of a forest tree's leaves ran through and separated Masazuka and Justin and held long swords at both of their necks.

"F-Father? You're back?" Justin heard Hikari say with slight worry.

"What in Arceus's name is going on here?" An older man came through the crowd with armored samurai and looked upon with disgust. "Hikari what is going on here?"

"What's going on?" Justin mumbled to himself. The cold steel of the man's blades touched Justin's neck. He looked into the swordsman's yellow eyes. They were devoid of anything except focus.

"Stand down Hayashi." The old man said. "Masazuka!" He bellowed. "What is the meaning of this and Hikari, who is this outsider?"

"Father, please… I can explain everything!"

"Grr! Not now. Here is not the place. I trusted you to keep his resistance in order and you dishonor me by letting it collapse like this?" Justin wanted to say something, but the sword at his throat reminded him not to open his mouth. "Masazuka be gone at once! There are things I must discuss with my daughter." Masazuka withdrew his sword and Justin stuck his into the ground. The man named Hayashi removed his swords from their necks and followed the old man into the Grand Hall.

"You escaped with your life today gaijin, but Hikari has lost all but a shred of her honor now that everyone knows that she requested your help. We will settle this… one day." He walked away with the mass of soldiers. Justin drew the sword from the ground and wiped the edge clean with his jacket.

"Here's your sword." Justin gave Inazuma the weapon and he withdrew it and left with the other retainers into the hall. Only Kiyomi was left outside and usually she was the first to be with Hikari.

"You stood up for her… even though you could've died. Why? Why would you do that for someone you hardly know?"

"Because doing the right thing is worth anything, even your life." Kiyomi shook her head and ran inside of the Hall. Justin was left alone at the front door, but he didn't move. He knew they were going to call him in at some time…

**And that chapter is done you guys! Hope you enjoyed the fight scene and how the plot is progressing so far. Leave a review telling me what you think and I'll see you guys Tuesday!**

** -N-Black, Out**


	22. Chapter 21

**N-Black is back with a new chapter of Legacy and we're going to find out what kind of hot water Justin landed himself into this time. For you guys who were planning on reading Pokemon University, ShirosakiEspada0 has changed his pen name to LDSAuthor2013 and that he is going to restart the story. I'm not sure if he's going to re-open OC submission, but if he does send some in! The more the merrier! **

** Chapter 21: The Fight... Starts with You**

As he predicted, several guards came outside to "escort" Justin into the Grand Hall. They were slightly surprised to see him just sitting out there waiting to be taken, but Justin had felt himself getting pulled into a pattern. He didn't offer any resistance as they shepherded him throughout the castle. All he did was wait and prepare himself for what was ahead.

Hikari called that man her father earlier. She seemed so afraid of him, but with how Justin saw things, he could understand why. No matter where he went, trouble seemed to follow and it ended up dragging everyone else along with him. The guards practically threw him inside of the hearing chamber where he had first spoken out and shut the door.

Across the room was Hikari and her retainers, who all looked worried, the swordsman from outside, and beside him in the center was the old man. He was calmly sipping some tea while Justin approached the empty mat that he thought was for him. He took his seat slowly and waited for the man to speak.

There was no sound in the room except for the splash of tea being poured into the small clay cup. Hikari's father said nothing and just kept drinking his tea while Justin was getting antsy from waiting. What was his game? There had to be something going on here. After what felt like an hour, the old man set down the cup onto a tray beside him and rolled his shoulders.

"What is your name outsider?" He asked smoothly. The man wore a well used brown casual robe. He had gray hair that grew out to his shoulders and beady eyes that gave him an intense look. One look would tell you that this man had been through a lot in his life and his gruff exterior exemplified that.

"Justin Evoran" He said, trying to hide his previous annoyance.

"I am Takara Fujimoto, a once proud and honorable samurai and former leader of the resistance movement. I know that you are already well acquainted with my daughter Hikari and her retainers. Tell me why you have come here to this land."

"Why? I don't know why... and I don't know how." Takara raised an eyebrow at his statement.

"You do not know why nor how you came here? Are you testing me child?" He said with a hint of anger.

"No." Justin said firmly. "My friends and I... we're not from this world." Much to Justin's surprise, the elder Fujimoto did not say his claim was nonsense. "You don't seem surprised."

"Do not mistake my silence for indifference. I am simply reasoning with my self. While as ludicrous as it sounds, I cannot discount the possibility, but enough with the introductions. He of a foreign land, tell me... by what right and reason do you fight for these people?"

"By what right? None. By what reason? Your daughter." Takara sighed. The news of his daughter asking for help from an outsider must still be on his mind.

"I made Hikari leader of the resistance because I thought she was ready, but now I see otherwise. It is clear that you lack the experience to handle this situation yourself Hikari. That upstart Masazuka nearly killed you if hadn't been for this man's intervention, but you have dishonored yourself as well as me by asking help from him and his companions! You're heart is too soft for this."

"Outsider." Takara said plainly. "I want to thank you, yet I also wish to see you punished for what you've done."

"I'm not sure I quite follow." Justin said, bewildered at the situation.

"By intervening in Masazuka and Hikari's duel, you not only saved my daughter's life, but you trampled on my family's honor all at once. Since you revealed to everyone that you were asked by Hikari to help her, there will be assumptions, gossip, and all the ingredients of a coup. You've given them even more reason to take the position of leader."

"Can't you stop them? They listened to you outside!" He shook his head and a grave look crossed his face.

"My word is respected, not the law. I no longer have any authority over them now that I am no longer the leader. They simply obeyed out of respect. No, I cannot do anything to stop our cause from crumbling except this. Hikari." The blonde stood up and went in front of her father.

"Yes father?" She said as she bowed. She remained in the same position as the man spoke.

"The only way to save the resistance now is for Justin to prove that he is capable."

"Father, you don't mean?" Hikari said with surprise.

"It's exactly what I mean. In order to prove that you are fit to lead, you, your retainers, and these outsiders you've taken in must regain our lost honor and prove that you are the best leader."

"But father! How am I supposed to do this?"

"You remember the plans to ambush the gold shipment?"

"Yes of course."

"That will be the time to strike."

"Very well then. I'll draw up plans with the retainers and I'll get Inazuma and Chiyoko on organizing the forces!"

"It's not that simple Hikari. Inazuma and Chiyoko cannot lead this battle." He raised a finger and pointed at Justin. "He will be the one to lead the forces." Justin could feel the shock cut across the room as he made this statement. He could see the look of disbelief on everyone's faces.

"Justin must lead the army..." Hikari said slowly. "Why?"

"The soldiers already know of Inazuma and Chiyoko's prowess, but they are not the ones who caused this mess. No, to show everyone that you were right in choosing help from him, he must lead the forces. His companions will be expected to help as well and should they prevail, you will have regained our honor and respect from the army once again."

"Not to dampen the moment here, but I don't know anything about leading an army. I barely know how to use a sword."

"Hm? You seemed to be doing just fine against Masazuka, but I can tell you're inexperienced. You will need to find a teacher."

"Father!" Hikari said loudly. "This is... its impossible! There's no way we can succeed even with an ambush attack. We can't have someone with no combat experience lead an army!"

"It is the only way Hikari. You saw yourself just how determined Masazuka was to claim the title. This is the only thing that can stop that from happening. However... you don't have to do this."

"I-I don't?" Hikari asked with surprise.

"No, I have no authority over you now since you're the leader. I am simply an advisor now, but this is the only way, no matter what. Reflect on the situation and come to a decision. You have a month till we launch the attack. That's as long as I can get Masazuka to remain peaceful. Hayashi." The green haired swordsman by Takara's side looked at the former resistance leader with his yellow eyes. "You are dismissed." Hayashi bowed and left the hall as did Takara.

Hikari's retainers attempted to comfort their mistress, but she dismissed them as well and that just left the two of them in the large empty room. Justin didn't know what to say right now. Takara gave Hikari the choice of successfully executing the raid with Chiyoko and Inazuma or he would go in by himself and stop all this madness from continuing on.

"Hikari... what're you going to do?"

"I don't know... I don't want to put you or your friends in that kind of situation, but... to not obey my father is to dishonor him... and I've already done enough of that..." Justin rose from his cushion with annoyance.

"This isn't about him! It's about the resistance! Your people's futures!"

"You wouldn't understand! You're just an outsider..." She said bitterly as she turned away from him.

"That's it? You're not going to make the choice yourself? You're going to let him make it for you? This is my fault... let me fix it!"

"Ever since you came here you've caused nothing but problems for us. You've done enough to hurt us. This is our fight not yours! I'll lead the forces instead and prove that I don't need anyone's help!"

"You know that isn't true! That's what your retainers are there for right? They're the people you trust the most. You can't just leave them out of this. Where I'm from, friends don't come easy!"

"Then go back to where ever it is you're from! You're not wanted here!" Justin took a step back. Those words bit him like a snake. He felt his inhibitions to help her vanish and he was filled with regret. The regret of having wasted his time trying to help her when she was too stubborn to see what was right in front of her. She continued to look away from him and he stormed to the door. Before he walked through he looked back and saw on the polished hardwood floor, teardrops where Hikari stood. He needed to talk to the others about this whole thing...

**There you have it! The only way for the resistance to truly be saved is if Justin and the others risk their lives in combat, but what will the others think of this news? What will Hikari choose? Find out next Wednesday!**

** -N-Black, Out**


	23. Chapter 22

**N-Black is back with Legacy for you guys! School's been busy so I haven't been able to dedicate a lot of time to writing. Updates will be random for a while, but I'll try to get a chapter out every week or so. Now on to the story!**

** Chapter 22: Gijinka**

Carlos walked with Cy to the medical cabin where Sera was undergoing treatment. Cy told him that she was going to recover well despite the wound she suffered in the fight in the brothel. Ever since they arrived at the resistance, he feels like they've been treated more like unwanted guests than refugees. With all the ruckus that Justin seemed to be attracting, it was hard not to see why.

His friend was usually a person that kept himself from being put into the spotlight, but it seemed trouble gravitated around him. First he got himself in trouble at Cy's hearing, then he became Hikari's assistant, and the commotion by the big castle probably involved him as well.

"Your mind is troubled Carlos." Cy said as he walked forward.

"Reading my mind again?" Carlos asked accusingly.

"It's all over your face. Is it how the resistance has been treating you?"

"Something like that."

"I hope you can understand why they act like that."

"Getting invaded by some other country and having your previous way of life stripped from tends to make people a little wary of outsiders I guess." Carlos said with the sarcasm literally emanating off of him. The two of them arrived at the medical cabin and Carlos saw several injured warriors in the rooms. The doctors were running in and out of rooms with different supplies.

"How'd all these people get injured?" Carlos asked as he surveyed the robed doctors move around.

"Battle. There are many more who are injured who have yet to return from the field. Morale within the troops is low and that's part of the reason for the chaos that is going on here. They think these losses are to blamed on Hikari when it is the mistakes of foolhardy generals that gets the men killed."

"Why are they blaming Hikari for all this then?"

"Loyalty can be bought like anything else Carlos… everyone has a price, whether you choose to admit it or not." Cy said gravely. "How do you think Masazuka amassed so much support?" So that was his game then… No matter how underhanded it seemed, it was effective. The people Carlos used to work for did the same thing. "We're here."

Carlos looked upon the unconscious form of Sera. When he first saw her, Sera's hair was a full green color, but now it seemed faded. She was nearly as white as the sheets she was wrapped in. She looked so serene, like a sleeping angel almost. Carlos looked at Cy and could see he was looking at his sister's features to see if anything was wrong. The two of them were inseparable, even when they were apart thanks to their psychic abilities.

"I'll let you have your time Cy." Carlos said as he left Cy alone to look after his sister. Carlos stepped outside and heard people scuffling in the room next door. There was yelling and thuds. "Not very hospital-like…" Carlos went to the room next door and opened the door to see Lexie thrashing about while several of the doctors tried to restrain her. Elesa was there trying to calm the cop down, but she seemed to be too angry.

"I don't need a doctor! I feel fine! Let me go!" Lexie continued to thrash and Carlos walked over and pinned her arms down without saying a word. "H-Hey what do you think you're doing?"

"This is a hospital Lexie, well, sort of, so stay quiet. Besides…" Carlos put his hand to her forehead and immediately pulled away. "You seem to have a… slight fever." It was a complete understatement to how her head really felt. It was like someone left the stove on!

"I feel fine though! I don't know what you guys are freakin—ACHOO!" She sneezed violently and Carlos could see the bags under her eyes.

"See Lexie! You shouldn't have been outside without bringing any water!" Elesa said as she walked up to her.

"I feel fine in the sun. I bet if I get some air, I'll feel a-okay!"

"Ah, you're in here." Carlos turned around to see Cy walking up to the bedside as well. "Sera will be fine, but the reason I wanted you to come along with me Carlos is because I want to see what you're Gijinka powers are." Carlos nearly forgot he had the powers till he was reminded.

"How are you going to do that?" He asked.

"I won't but someone else will? Elesa would you come as well, and you to Lexie if you're able?"

"Of course I'm able!" Lexie said confidently as she staggered out of bed. "But why do you want us to go?"

"You'll see. Is Justin anywhere around?" Cy asked.

"Haven't seen him since this morning." Carlos answered.

"No matter then… I'll speak with him another time. Please follow me." Cy led them out of the medical cabin and they ventured into the bamboo thicket nearby. From what it looked like, there was a path here, but it wasn't traveled often. Carlos noticed that the sun was beginning to set in the direction they were going.

"It's already late… time flies."

"This is the perfect time to find him." Cy muttered as the bamboo thicket started to grow smaller and smaller. Carlos looked to his left and saw what looked like a totem pole with different carvings of what looked like Pokémon. "Everyone remain quiet, we don't want to disturb him." Cy whispered.

"Disturb who?" Elesa asked as she looked around for the mystery person.

"Him." Cy pointed forward through the stalks of thick bamboo to a cliff that faced the large setting sun. Carlos squinted his eyes to see and spotted a humanoid figure out on a ledge just standing there. Cy started to move slowly and they followed him.

They came out of the thicket slowly and Carlos felt sweat form on his brow. Why did Cy want to be so sneaky? Carlos carefully moved to avoid anything that would make noise and they came to a stop in front of a small tent with a campfire pit. Did this guy live here or something?

"Ah…ah…" Lexie was attempting to hold back a sneeze and Carlos put hand over her mouth so she wouldn't wake up the dead with her violent sneeze. She seemed to settle and Carlos removed his hand and sighed with relief. As soon as he felt it was safe Lexie started up again. "AH!" Carlos couldn't stop it from happening this time and she sneezed loudly. "CHOO!" Bird Pokémon flew out of the trees and the sneeze echoed throughout the valley.

Everyone turned to her slowly and cringed as they looked toward the cliff face. The guy standing out there didn't do anything unusual. How could he not here that? Carlos leaned against a bamboo stalk and it slowly bended towards a pot by the campfire pit. A drop of water fell from the stalk's end and landed with a small ping inside the metal pot. The figure quickly turned around to look at them, still hard to see because of the shadow the sun cast on him.

"Who dares disturb my watching?" The person's voice was masculine, but it seemed hollow, like the person rarely talked. "Is it you Cy? I feel your presence, but who is with you?"

"Friends Etu. I wanted to ask you after you finished you're watching if you could use your talents to-"

"Forget it. I will not do it. He… he was the last person I would tell." The person stepped out of the shadows and Carlos saw that it was man in his mid-twenties with very tan skin and unexpressive black eyes. He wore what looked like an Indian ceremonial garb and his dry black hair reached his lower back.

"I know you swore you wouldn't, but my friends here, especially this one." Cy pointed at Carlos when he said this, "May have special powers."

"Bah!" The man named Etu spat with distaste. "Everyone has "special" powers now."

"Etu… can't you tell though? They aren't from here."

"So am I. That doesn't make me anymore special." Etu went to his pit and began lighting it.

"No, not like that. They aren't from this world." Etu froze and dropped the materials he was using to strike up the fire. He turned and looked at the three of them curiously. Etu closed his eyes and held out his palm in front of them.

"You… you truly are from another world. I can feel it now… the difference in the energy. Where is the fourth?"

"Wait how'd you know there were four of us?"

"I can detect energy… different from each of yours. It's very subtle, but it is similar to the three of you. Where is the fourth?" Etu seemed intent on finding Justin for some reason.

"Don't know. Haven't seen him since this morning." Carlos answered to ease Etu's suspicions.

"Shame. My curiosity is getting the best of me again. I… will give you this favor Cy, but you shall owe me for breaking my contract with Shaymin."

"Yes, yes Etu just get on with it already." Whatever this Shaymin thing was, it didn't get Cy interested or threatened.

"Shiki!" Etu called. From within the small tent emerged a person about Carlos's age, but who has rather short. He had green hair… mostly. Along the edges of his messy hair, it looked like it was slightly pink. "Almost summer then is it?" Etu asked the boy as he scrambled out. This Shiki person wore a tan tunic with clog sandals and a large brown cloak. His eyes were interesting as they were orange and yellow in each eye. What really fascinated Carlos was the staff he was holding. It was a sturdy staff that was as big as Shiki and at the top of the wood was a ruby, a sapphire, an emerald, and a diamond.

"It's almost summer… it looks to be a nice one." Shiki said as he jammed his staff into the ground.

"Prepare the ritual Shiki. I must call upon the sight of Xatu." Carlos moved his way over to Cy as he watched the two odd people prepare their "ritual".

"What's up with these two Cy?"

"Etu is a sage from another land who looks to the legendary Pokémon Shaymin for guidance. Shiki is his apprentice, but he is also a gijinka. As you can see, his powers alter his physical look. His hair and eye color change with the seasons… as well as his powers. I've asked Etu to do a very difficult thing."

"What would that be?"

"I've asked him to reveal your gijinka power Carlos, and to see if Elesa or Lexie have any. However what makes it difficult is the fact that he has to break a pact he made with Shaymin to do this, but that is another story for another time." Carlos and the others watched as Shiki laid several seeds onto the campfire pit and Etu remained by the cliff with his eyes closed. He appeared to be chanting something.

Shiki ran inside of the tent and pulled out a small animal hide drum. Shiki took a seat in front of the campfire pit and struck the drum. The sound reverberated throughout the cliff. Another thud of the drum and Etu rose and walked towards the fire pit with his eyes closed, his mouth still moving in the chant. Shiki picked up speed and was soon playing a tribal beat. It synced with the beat of Carlos's heart and Etu was in front of the fire pit now, his chanting becoming clear.

His words were in a strange language that Carlos didn't understand, but he could feel power in them. The drum beat seemed to grow more intense as time went on. Etu put his hands over the campfire pit and the seeds seemed to move. The soil underneath shifted and covered the seeds. It was like watching the time lapse moments of a nature documentary. The drum persevered in drowning out the thoughts from Carlos's mind as he saw the soil churn and suddenly fall still.

The drum beat ended and Etu stopped chanting and moved his hands away from the pit. Carlos stared at the ground waiting for something to happen, but the dirt remained still. He didn't dare say anything, fearing he may disrupt the ritual. Carlos waited and he saw that Lexie and Elesa had their eyes glued to the spot as well.

Some of the dirt shifted and Carlos rubbed his eyes to make sure it wasn't an illusion, but the soft dirt was moving. A small green stem grew quickly out of the ground and came to a stop after a few inches. Three buds were on the stem and Etu smiled. He bent down and plucked the buds off the stem and handed one to the three of them.

"What do we do with these?" Carlos asked cautiously as he felt the soft petals of the flower bud in his hand.

"Wait." Etu said bluntly in his hollow voice. Carlos and the others held their flower buds, but nothing happened quite yet. Carlos stared at the small pink bud and felt it squirm. The feeling was unsettling. But Carlos didn't drop the delicate plant. A petal fell from the bud, then another, and another. Soon the entire bud was blooming right in his hand without any soil or water.

A full grown light pink flower bloomed in the palm of his hand and Etu looked at him curiously. He held out his hand for the flower and Carlos placed it gently in his hand. The sage looked at Lexie and Elesa, but their buds hadn't moved yet.

"It seems," Etu began, "That only one of you has shown any sort of signs of having powers." Etu placed the flower inside of the campfire pit and retrieved two stones from the ground. "Forgive me Shaymin…" Etu struck the two rocks together and the sparks immolated the pink flower in orange flames. Carlos watched as the flower slowly blackened in the flames and couldn't help but feel bad to see such new life be destroyed.

The flame started to change color to a green color as the flower slowly disintegrated. Etu motioned for Carlos to step forward. His feet moved sluggishly forward as he felt his heart race. "Place your hands in the fire." Etu commanded. Carlos nearly protested then remembered his powers. If a gigantic steel arrow didn't kill him, then fire must be child's play. Counting to three in his head, Carlos thrust his hands into the green fire expecting searing heat, but the flames just ran past his arms. As a matter of fact, it felt like a nice spring breeze. Etu stood back and the fire rose into the sky forming a figure.

The figure shaped itself in the fire and standing within the flames was a large dinosaur–like creature. It had an impressive drill like horn and armored padding over its body, a strong tail with a large mace-like ending and large blunt claws at the end of its massive arms.

"W-What is that?" Carlos asked as he looked at the flaming figure.

"The Pokémon from which your powers came from, a mighty Rhyperior!" The creature known as Rhyperior lowered its head and roared towards Carlos. He jumped back and as soon as his hands left the fire, the flaming Rhyperior disappeared and the fire slowly retuned to its original color. "Impressive. One with the power of a Rhyperior are hard to defeat. A Rhyperior's greatest strengths are its natural strength and durability, but also its greatest weakness. Your skin feels normal, but it has the density of solid bedrock. Your movement in the water will be hindered greatly, but it seems you move fine on land."

"I guess that explains why I lived through that Ballista and how I punched a dent into solid steel armor then." Carlos felt his hand and it felt normal to him. Hopefully he wouldn't grow any horns on his head or something weird like that.

"So my hunch was right after all." Cy said as he walked forward. "You are a gijinka after all, but what of Elesa and Lexie Etu?"

"I cannot confirm or deny that they are gijinka as well. My apologies, but you must repay me Cy. Breaking an oath with Shaymin isn't something I would do without proper compensation. Now I must return to my watching. I have tarried long enough." Without another word, Etu walked back to the cliff edge and stared at the now nearly set sun while Shiki went back inside the tent after retrieving the staff from the ground.

"Not very social are they?" Lexie asked.

"I would rather not divulge in their personal secrets. I have done enough today." Cy said bluntly. "Thank you for your time, go back and do whatever you planned to do today." The green-haired warrior bowed and entered the bamboo and disappeared within.

"We should go back too." Elesa said. "All that commotion at the Grand Hall made me worried."

"Yeah, same here." The three of them walked out of the bamboo thicket and Carlos couldn't help but feel bigger. Now that he knew that he could take nearly anything that could hurt him like a tank, his confidence was bolstered. They walked back into the living quarters and it seemed ghostly quiet. In the soft glow of the oil lantern hanging in the alley, Justin was sitting on the steps to their cabin.

"Justin!" Elesa said. The black-haired boy looked over and walked somberly over to them. "Are you okay? We heard all that noise at the Grand Hall. I'm sorry I couldn't go over there to check on you, but y had something for us to do."

"It's alright." He said. "I'm fine, but…"

"But what?" Carlos asked inquisitively. There was definitely something wrong.

"Masazuka… that guy who is trying to become the resistance leader… he attacked today."

"Wait, that one cocky guy I've been seeing strutting around here?"

"One and the same. Hikari fought him one on one and I-I mean Hikari's father… he stopped them and said…"

"Said what? Just tell us already!" Lexie snapped at him.

"He blames me for losing his family's honor and that the only way to stop the others from rebelling is to make me command the forces when they attack in one month!" Carlos was taken aback by this information. They wanted his best friend to lead an army and most likely get himself killed?

"There's no way you would agree to that! You rejected him didn't you? I mean, he has no authority over you!" Carlos looked hopelessly at his friend's face. Justin wasn't meeting any of their eyes. "Didn't you?"

"It's not him I had to reject… its Hikari." His friend took a breath. "Her father gave her the power to make me the general, but she doesn't want to. She wants to do it herself."

"That's good then. We can focus on finding a way back home now." Carlos said eagerly.

"I told her that I'm going to do it." Carlos widened his eyes in shock. Why? Why would he do that for her?

"Hold on you're not serious about this are you?" Carlos asked worriedly.

"I'm dead serious. I made this mess and I'm going to clean it up."

"You didn't make this mess! Masazuka did! It's not your job to do what Hikari says! What happened to the old Justin that didn't take crap from anybody?"

"Carlos, Elesa, Lexie… I want you guys to help me!"

"Justin I-" Elesa began, but Carlos cut her off.

"I asked you a question! We want to go home Justin! This isn't our world! What happened to make you want to stay here?"

"Carlos… I thought you always had my back. Why not now when I need you most?" Justin asked desperately.

"You're my friend, but you've changed since you got here. Think reasonably! Why do you feel obligated to stay here and fight for these people?"

"I…I'm not sure why… but I know that I can't leave till I see this through! I can see that you're against this, but what about you Lexie, and you Elesa?"

"I'm with Del Grove on this one Justin. You said that once we found your friends that we would find a way back. Now that everyone's safe, we can finally go back!"

"Elesa? What about you?" Justin looked at her and she instantly looked away.

"**C'mon Elesa! You are the only one who can talk sense into him now!**" Carlos thought.

"I know that you don't want to go back to Black City. You always told us that you wanted to go see the world and get out of the city."

"Justin… you're right… I've always wanted to go and see the world…"

"Elesa what are you doing?" Carlos asked worriedly. Justin smiled and held out a hand. Elesa walked forward and held it, but didn't go any further.

"But I want to see our world." Justin's smile disappeared and he let his hand fall down.

"I see…" Justin said as he backed away into the shadows, still slightly visible. "I wanted you guys at my side for when this happened, but you've made your choice… Find a way back home without me, I'll take care of business here and come back afterwards."

"Just come with us now! Why is that so hard?" Carlos said, but his friend was walking farther and farther out of sight.

"Sorry Carlos. This is something I've got to do…" He was fully gone from sight now and the three of them were left standing in the dirt road.

"Justin…" Elesa said softly. What was happening to Justin?

"We should go and get some rest. We can find out how to get back without him."

"Aren't you going to try and talk some sense into him Del Grove?" Lexie said, sniffling slightly. Carlos looked at the spot where his friend once stood.

"He made his choice." Carlos walked back inside of the cabin and clenched his fist. He bellowed and punched a hole into the thick wood wall in anger. He panted and pulled his hand out of the newly made hole. Justin was hiding something from them. He never hid things from them. Carlos was going to have to have a talk with Hikari in the morning…

**And there's the chapter and sorry for the super mega ultra-late update, but I've been busy with school stuff and the like. There won't be any designated update schedule anymore, but I'll try to update a story every week. Until then!**

** -N-Black, Out**


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